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Agence France-Presse

The Hollywood fairy tale that is Wrexham AFC is only just beginning, the club’s CEO said on Friday as the Welsh side continued its unlikely quest to crack the Premier League.
Since Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the club in 2020, Wrexham have become the first team to earn three successive promotions from England’s national league to the second-tier Championship.
Wrexham will play relegated former Premier League club Southampton in their Championship opener on August 9, a prospect Michael Williamson described as a “pinch yourself” moment.
Speaking in Wellington during the club’s pre-season tour to Australia and New Zealand, the CEO said success was more than simply making up the numbers.
“The expectation is, and Rob McElhenney will say that he doesn’t know what this word is, but obviously we need to consolidate our position in the Championship,” Williamson said.
“If we are able to find ourselves halfway through the season, in December, in that 3-4-5-6-7 position, people should be worried about us.
“Because I believe if we make the playoffs with the type of mentality that we have, anything can happen in 90 minutes. I really would give ourselves a strong shot of giving it a run.”

The Welsh minnows languished for years in the lower tiers of English football before being bought by Reynolds and McElhenney, and shooting to fame through the Welcome to Wrexham documentary.
They return to the Championship for the first time in more than 40 years.
The fighting words were echoed by former Wrexham player-turned-club ambassador, Ben Tozer, who was also in New Zealand for the tour.
“It’s a massive challenge, don’t get me wrong,” Tozer said. “But the momentum of our club, four years of pure success and heading in the right direction, winning a lot more games than losing. We could surprise some people.”
Fellow club ambassador, former Wrexham and Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster, said the club had set itself apart by recruiting the right people.
“If you look at it in the cold light of day, the stark reality is that money is going to start playing a massive role now,” Foster said. “When you’ve got players and clubs that have just been relegated from the Premier League, they’re on big wages and they’re big players and they’re worth big money because they are of a calibre of player.
“But I’d like to think Wrexham can do it in a slightly different way where we identify the people, and the team is more important than the individuals.”
Foster lauded a “no dickheads” policy at the club, which meant players and staff were working towards a common goal.
Williamson said that policy started in the dressing room and was led by manager Phil Parkinson.
Over the past year, Wrexham’s staff numbers had grown by more than 60, to about 105.
“I would say most of the 60 or so employees that have been hired, I’ve personally interviewed at some point,” Williamson said. “For me it was important to bring in, especially on the senior leadership side, people who understood what Wrexham is and what we’re actually doing here. We’re not just another football club.
“There are people who had incredible CVs, experience. You look at them and say, ‘wow’. You think that they would be incredible for Wrexham.”
“And then you go through the interview process and realise that they’re not really understanding what Wrexham is as a town, as a community, as a club.
“That’s something that took a lot of effort. We’re trying to create a culture within the club.”
Wrexham will return to Wales on Sunday, after playing Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand on Saturday evening.
Parkinson confirmed the club were close to signing New Zealand international left-back Liberato Cacace – a former Wellington Phoenix junior player – from Italian club Empoli.
Cacace’s father, Antonio, owns an Italian restaurant in Wellington where Parkinson planned to drop in for a glass of wine before leaving the city on Sunday.


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Football

Welsh club’s CEO says celebrity co-owner Rob McElhenney does not know meaning of the word consolidation


Welsh club’s CEO says celebrity co-owner Rob McElhenney does not know meaning of the word consolidation.


Ryan Reynolds

Wrexham chief tells Championship rivals: be afraid if we have shot at promotion in December

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Welsh club’s CEO says celebrity co-owner Rob McElhenney does not know meaning of the word consolidation

Welsh club’s CEO says celebrity co-owner Rob McElhenney does not know meaning of the word consolidation