Wrexham: Rob McElhenney’s support act in promotion sequel

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McIlhenney are used to being the star attractions, both in their day jobs as actors and in their roles as Wrexham owners.

It was perhaps new for the Hollywood duo when their football club shared the stage with Stockport County on Saturday.

It was a celebration of Wrexham’s second successive promotion, but in front of another sold-out crowd at their Stok Racecourse, League Two listeners were in support of the day.

That was because their visitors had already been crowned champions of the division, and as a nice nod to this achievement, the Wrexham players gave their Stockport counterparts a guard of honor on the pitch before kick-off.

Although this may have been standard for recent league winners, it was still a significant gesture from Wrexham towards the rivals they had beaten to promotion from the National League two years before they clinched the League Two title.

A boxer might say that a person needs a dance partner to bring out the best in them. In the language of Reynolds and McElhenney’s making, a superhero needs a villain for the most satisfying narrative arc.

On this occasion, with Reynolds tied up with filming commitments, there was only McIlhenney at the racecourse.

“I talked to Ryan for a long time during the game,” McIlhenny said. “I FaceTimed him, and I couldn’t hear him and he couldn’t hear me because there were 12,000 people screaming.

“Obviously he was disappointed to miss out, but business is business. I’m not complaining, it’s been a magical season.”

Although the atmosphere was undoubtedly festive – fans had been gathering outside the stadium since mid-morning – it was certainly more muted than the enthusiastic scenes that greeted their National League win here a year ago.

It was catharsis for Wrexham, a moment of glorious release after 15 years in the non-league wilderness; Fans flock to the pitch, with a visibly emotional Reynolds and McIlhenny holding the trophy aloft.

This time was low in comparison. While there were tears of joy 12 months ago, this celebration was colored with more subdued colors of quiet contentment and smiles of contentment.

Aside from McIlhenney, there were no celebrities in attendance. The referee was Steve Martin. not only this.

Long after the final whistle had blown and the crowd had dispersed, McIlhenny joined club staff, players’ families and a few other guests on the pitch.

Vaughan Gething was among them, as he enjoyed kicking a ball with his son in front of the goal at the Take End Stadium. However, even with the Prime Minister present, it seemed rather calm, as if this might happen in a nearby park.

This is consistent with the season as a whole for Wrexham. When you talk to players, coaches, staff or fans, you get the feeling that this season has simply been about getting the job done through promotion.

The way they did it had something to do with it too, as they secured passage to League One with two games to go.

“I don’t think anything can replace the nerves of last season,” said head coach Phil Parkinson.

“I think it stems from 15 years in the National League and with only one club promoted [automatically] And the head-to-head battle with Notts County. There wasn’t quite that stress because we had completed the job two weeks earlier.

No matter how easy it was to achieve a promotion, no one took it for granted.

Wrexham have not played in the Third Division for two decades, so securing their return to this level represents a massive step forward for a club that is on an upward trajectory.

You could hear it a lot during the second half when Wrexham scored twice to beat Stockport, with a huge crowd at the Racecourse chanting ‘The Town Steps Up’.

There was no pitch invasion this time. A documentary film crew followed every player and coach’s every move after the final whistle, but Disney’s third series won’t have the drama of its second season.

This is the way Parkinson and Wrexham players and fans wanted it. No stress, no fuss, no drama.

This may not be a recipe for the most watched docuseries, but after last season, even its producers — Reynolds and McElhenney — might have been happy with a more consistent campaign.

After all, there will be more time to chronicle the football club’s cruel tribulations. Once next season arrives, even in League One, Wrexham will be a star magnet once again.