Wroxham FC, a non-league football club from the UK, claims it was “one letter away” from being taken over by Ryan Reynolds and is hoping to attract the attention of the Wrexham co-owner with a humorous video.
Despite having similar names, Wrexham, owned by the Hollywood A-lister and Rob McElhenney, and Norfolk-based Wroxham have vastly different fortunes on the field. Wrexham is currently fighting for promotion in League One, while Wroxham is just one place above the bottom of the Isthmian North League, five divisions below them.
Over the weekend, the Yachtsmen, as Wroxham is nicknamed, released a trailer for their new three-part documentary, ‘Welcome to Wroxham’. The trailer features a confused Wrexham fan asking “Where is Wroxham?” and a character named Dadpool, a nod to Reynolds’ role in the Deadpool movies.
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Adverts for the rival documentary were “accidentally” placed outside locations made famous by Welcome to Wrexham, including The Turf pub, before the North Wales side’s game against Mansfield on Saturday. The trailer quickly gained popularity on social media, with more than 300,000 views and hundreds of comments.
Wroxham FC chairman James Blower confessed that the club was deliberately trying to get Reynolds and McElhenney’s attention to highlight its story. He also suggested a friendly match between the two teams, humorously referred to as the Vowel Derby, reports Wales Online.
Blower said: “We’ve watched from the subs’ bench as Wrexham AFC has soared up the leagues and achieved global fame thanks to their celebrity owners. There’s plenty of people around this great little club that think, but for one letter, it could have been us.”
“We’ve finally been able to make the documentary that tells our side of the story, and with a bit of luck with all the social media reaction, put the club on the map to maybe secure our own celebrity investment. Our dream is for Ryan and Rob to spot our own special story and maybe set up a pre-season grudge match.”
One standout character in the documentary is Wroxham’s head groundsman, Barry Letten. The dedicated 78-year-old volunteer discussed his brush with fame. He said “I walked into the clubhouse this morning, and a couple of regulars asked for a photo with me. Apparently I’m a social media sensation now, whatever that means.
Wroxham’s head groundsman, Barry Letten, is one of the stars of the new documentary (
Riot Labs)
“I’m more pitchfork and wheelbarrow than TikTok star, but this must be what Ryan Reynolds feels like when he turns up at Wrexham. Wroxham FC means the world to me. I’m here five days a week, come rain or shine, looking after the pitch, cleaning the toilets, sweeping the changing room, whatever is needed.
“It’s a community club that deserves its time in the limelight, and to be what everyone is calling ‘the star of the show’ means an awful lot. I love it.”
Wroxham FC, which sees an average home game attendance of about 150 at Trafford Park, is a stark contrast to Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground where they consistently sell out crowds over 13,000. While Disney+ streams “Welcome to Wrexham,” Wroxham FC will debut its documentary on the club’s YouTube channel at 9am on Sunday (November 17).
Thanks to sponsorship from Riot Labs, a vape liquid seller, the production was made possible. Ben Johnson, CEO of the company, shared: “To be able to support the club and give them the platform and investment to share their unique story is an honour, and the reaction has been brilliant. We hope it helps them attract future sponsors and maybe even Hollywood owners of their own.”
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