Welcome to Wrexham, the Philly of Wales
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Wrexham's Bailey Cadamarteri. Photo: Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images
Simon Johnson was talking about Wrexham, Wales, but it sounded like he was describing Philadelphia.
- "We're kind of small, fiercely independent and proud of our town and heritage," says the 51-year-old superfan and former part-owner of Welsh soccer club Wrexham AFC.
Why it matters: Since actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham AFC in 2021, the Welsh city has seen a surge in American tourism and investment — and it's also forged a kinship with Philadelphia.
The big picture: Wrexham and Philly could almost be sister cities.
- They're gritty, blue-collar places where civic pride is inseparable from football — even if Wrexham means the European kind.
- Fans inherit their loyalty young, have little patience for losing, and are deeply skeptical of owners peddling excuses.
- Now, thanks in part to sports and Hollywood's biggest stars, both cities find themselves dominating the world's increasingly short attention span.
Driving the news: Wrexham AFC wraps up the final leg of its U.S. tour on Sunday with an exhibition match against Sunderland AFC at Subaru Park — a feat that would've been unthinkable just a few years ago, when the club was languishing in the lower tiers of English football.
Yes, but: Reynolds and Philadelphia native and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star McElhenney didn't just buy the club. They've transformed the team through investments and by putting a Hollywood spotlight on their underdog story, including via the docuseries "Welcome to Wrexham."
- The pair poured money and ambition into a club that had endured what Johnson calls several "dodgy" owners.
- At one point, Wrexham was fan owned — a la the Green Bay Packers — and teetering on the brink of financial ruin.
Zoom in: Wrexham is now posting record profits and drawing nearly 60% of its revenue from outside the U.K., primarily from North America.
- The city is also seeing a wave of American visitors, "Welcome to Wrexham" tour guide Bryan Still tells Axios.
- He has led more than 300 tours over the past two years and estimates about 80% of his business comes from Americans.
What they're saying: Still says the actors won over an initially skeptical fan base and have ushered in a golden era for the club — and the region.
- "We're a big spotlight in the world now," he says. "You can be walking around town and someone go, 'Oh my god, I recognize him off the telly.'"
Case in point: Reynolds and McElhenney often mingle with fans and local business owners, including Rob Clarke, who runs the independent film store Mad4Movies.
- The actors paid a surprise visit to his shop in 2021. And it now carries a bunch of American trinkets and "Deadpool" DVDs.
"Wrexham is a very friendly place," says Clarke, whose wife is a huge Eagles fan and often lounges around the house in Birds shirts and Donovan McNabb jerseys.
- "If you're struggling in Wrexham, there's always people to help you out."
The intrigue: As the team has ascended the English football ranks, celebrities have flocked to town — much like how Bradley Cooper and Kevin Hart embrace the Eagles.
- "We're probably the most jealous club in the U.K. now, because everybody wants to be us. We got Channing Tatum walking around. Paul Rudd's been here. Will Ferrell's been here," Still says.
The bottom line: The enthusiasm has become infectious. On any given day — match or not — Wrexham's streets are filled with people wearing the club's jerseys.
- "Somebody from out of town said to me, 'Wrexham playing today?'" Johnson says.
- "I said, 'No, why?' They said, 'Everywhere I look … there's people wearing Wrexham shirts.'"
- "I said, 'Yeah, it's just like that all the time.'"
Welcome to Philadelphia — oops, we mean Wrexham.