Wrexham have been promoted to the Football League after a 3-1 win over Boreham Wood. At the Racecourse Ground, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who acquired the team in November 2020, were present, but it was Wrexham forward Paul Mullin who stole the show as his team defeated Boreham Wood 3-1 to win the National League championship.
“I’m still a little speechless and not sure I can absorb what just transpired,” Ryan Reynolds said after Wrexham was promoted to the Football League. “One thing that keeps coming to me is how back in the beginning, people questioned, “Why Wrexham?” This is the reason Wrexham exists. The reason is what’s going on right now. What it’s all about is to watch the players’ faces light up and, of course, the entire stadium.”
After Ben Foster’s heroics two weeks ago went viral, Boreham Wood had threatened to sabotage the plot when Lee Ndlovu scored just 43 seconds into the game, but Wrexham once again supplied big office drama. The team was reinstated to the Football League exactly 15 years after they were demoted, thanks to goals from Elliot Lee and Mullin, who then scored his 44th and 45th goals of the year. It was the ideal Hollywood ending. After being demoted in 2008, it eventually put Wrexham out of reach of the County with 110 points and indicated their re-entry into the Football League.
“What matters most to us is that we can understand what it means to Wrexham,” co-owner Rob McElhenney said. “The opportunity to be accepted into their group and witness a moment of catharsis for them both make this experience the honor of my life.”
Reynolds clearly seemed to be enjoying himself during the Wrexham celebrations that lasted late into the night. Paul Rudd, who was spotted drinking in neighborhood pubs before kickoff with fans, joined Reynolds and McElhenney in their executive seating section as Wrexham recovered up after going behind in just 43 seconds. After the game, the co-owners went onto the field to embrace the players and present the trophy. Ben Foster’s post-game news conference was also interrupted by Reynolds, who demanded to see Foster’s jersey.
“He texted me to say how desperate he is for the clothing. ‘Make sure you don’t throw it into the crowd, I need that,” goalkeeper Ben Foster said. “The owners are really smart. They adore it to the hilt. They are completely in, I mean they are in. At times, they resemble one of the boys. They won’t enter a raging state. Because they are aware that you won’t always win, play flawlessly, or knock things out of the park, they cheer and support the guys. They recognize that the beauty of sports is that everyone wants to win, and they don’t always anticipate fast results.”
Luke Garrard, the manager of Boreham Wood, claimed that his team’s playoff hopes had been “Mullined” after Wrexham’s leading scorer stole the game with two outstanding goals in the second half. After Elliot Lee’s far-post header negated Lee Ndlovu’s immediate goal, Paul Mullin made it 47 goals for the season. The third-oldest football club in the world has earned worldwide notoriety and new supporters since being acquired by Reynolds and McElhenney; Ant-Man actor Paul Rudd even joined Wrexham supporters in the pub before kickoff on Saturday.
“Paul Mullin, in my opinion, is one of the best football players in history,” McElhenney added. “What matters most to us, in my opinion, is how the town feels about it. The honour of my life has been to be welcomed into their community and to share in this experience, and I believe that this is a time of catharsis and celebration for them.”
Welcome to Wrexham, an FX documentary that debuted on Disney+ in the UK, explores the club’s history beginning with the transition to its current management. The team still has one game left in the regular season against Torquay before playing a friendly against Manchester United in San Diego in July.
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