Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney rivals want to be ‘villain who ruins Welcome to Wrexham’ but Red Dragons use documentary jealousy as ‘motivational tool’

Mark Howard has been on the books at SToK Racecourse since the summer of 2022, experiencing memorable promotions out of the National League and League Two. He has witnessed first-hand the impact that a couple of Hollywood co-owners have made in North Wales.

Reynolds and McElhenney have opened up a window to the world for Wrexham, as a club and community, with an award-winning documentary attracting supporters from across the globe. While plenty have bought into that project, not everybody has embraced it.

Howard told OLBG of rivals looking to disrupt blockbuster storylines that are being caught on camera: “There is a lot from opposition players, staff and fans. We hear it and see it. But we like it. We know it’s already in their heads, we know we have a slight edge on them as we have rattled them before the game starts.

“The comments are going on weekly. We find it a bit funny that we have got to people. It’s a motivational tool that people try to throw in our faces but we are accustomed to it.

“For this level it’s been a bit of a media circus but it’s something as players, and I will include the staff in that, that we are all used to. We have all embraced it. A lot of players use that against us. For the documentary style show, they all want to be the villain who ruins the episode of Welcome to Wrexham. A lot of the away teams want to ruin the party.”

While opponents are eager to make the most of their moment in the spotlight, Wrexham’s playing and coaching staff have grown accustomed to life on screen. Howard added: “We are aware they are there but they are good people behind the cameras. It’s no different, it’s like they are normal members of staff. They blend in. But you can have normal conversations with them. It’s a lot easier than you think. There are three or four people around each day from Disney but they are there when we win and they are there when we lose.

“If they only turned up at the good times or bad moments it would be more noticeable. They are there every day, every training session at the stadium. It has become the norm. We know them by name and we speak to them as much as the other players in and around the club. Of course for new players, with the film crew around, it must be a bit foreign to them. But you quickly become accustomed to it. And with the media, promo adverts and marketing we do, it’s quite enjoyable as players. That comes across. We are embracing it and enjoying it and nobody hides away from it.”

The Red Dragons are hoping to provide more drama for ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ this season, with Phil Parkinson’s squad in the process of chasing down a historic third successive promotion. A meeting with Birmingham, in the so-called ‘Hollywood Derby’, is next on the agenda.