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.

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.

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: 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.

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The U.S. blood supply has reached crisis levels after falling nearly 25% in June, hitting a four-year summer low, the American Red Cross said this week.

Why it matters: A prolonged blood shortage could delay surgeries, trauma care and other treatments that depend on timely blood transfusions.

State of play: The Red Cross says all blood types are needed because the current supply is not keeping up with the demand for blood, which increases during the summer, the Red Cross says.

• Extreme heat, bad air quality and "widespread foodborne illnesses" hitting the country are causing low turnout of donations, per the Red Cross.

Context: This is only the second national blood supply crisis, according to the Red Cross.

• The last time was in January 2022, when COVID, winter storms and staffing challenges disrupted the nation's blood supply.

Zoom in: The situation is particularly dire for type O.

• The organization says it has "less than a one-day national supply of type O positive blood," which is the most commonly transfused blood type.
• Due to the shortage, the organization is limiting distribution of type O blood to hospitals.

Jennifer Graham, CEO of the Philly region's Red Cross outpost, tells Axios that the region is seeing the same downturns in donations and supplies.

• She also said heat and extreme weather, and a rise in foodborne illnesses, are to blame for the donation drop, as is the metro's busy summer of events.
• "The need for blood doesn't take a vacation," she said.

Where to donate

📉 Crime is plummeting on SEPTA's system, the agency says in its latest report.

• Highlights include a 21% decline in serious crimes in the second quarter compared to the same time last year, while fare enforcement and smoking citations are up by double digits.

⚖️ Four Cheltenham High School football coaches and six players were charged yesterday in connection with two alleged assaults in the school's locker room, where players beat a 15-year-old, prosecutors say.

• The school's football season was already cancelled over the allegations. (6ABC)

📸 You can now visit the Liberty Bell virtually by tuning into the new 24-7, EarthCam livestream.

• FWIW: Another livestream is set up at the Franklin Institute overlooking the Ben Franklin Parkway.

🎭 Enjoy theater at Clark Park this weekend. Watch an actor-driven adaptation of Shakespeare's "Hamlet." Performances start at 7pm every day through Sunday at the "Bowl."

• If there's bad weather, the performance will move indoors to Plays & Players Theatre.

🍿 Don't forget you can see Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" at Regal UA in King of Prussia on a 70mm IMAX screen — only one of 25 in the country.

• You can also catch the flick on 70mm at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute.

🤼 Wrestling takes over Temple's Liacouras Center tonight and Friday when TNA iMPACT comes to town. The show starts at 7pm each night.

• Tickets: $30+

✨ South Street's Night Out on 9th returns tomorrow from 5-9pm. Vendors, a soccer-skills challenge, eats and drinks are on the agenda, plus the opening of the Magic Garden's new exhibt.

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