Jeremy Clarkson has called out Wrexham by suggesting his local side Chadlington are set to follow in their footsteps.
Clarkson sponsors Chadlington through his Diddly Squat Farm, which is featured in the Amazon Prime show Clarkson’s Farm. The 63-year-old is a Chelsea fan at heart, but he decided to get involved with the Oxfordshire team in November 2021.
Chadlington’s first team finished seventh in Division One of the Witney and District League this season. But Clarkson believes they are going places – and can perhaps follow in the trajectory of Wrexham, who were promoted to the Football League thanks to the backing of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Clarkson has clearly taken note of the work Reynolds and McElhenney have done. He tweeted: “OK Wrexham. @ChadlingtonFC is coming for you.”
The former Top Gear presenter’s involvement in Chadlington came about after he received lots of objections to his plans to expand Diddly Squat Farm. After seeing his restaurant shut down and being denied planning permission to extend the car park at his farm shop, Clarkson felt he needed to win over the local population.
His zany plan is detailed in episode three of the Clarkson's Farm season two. In it he explains: “If I was going to win over the village, I would need a much grander gesture. So I thought of one: Diddly Squat.... sponsors of Chadlington Football Club.”
In the show Clarkson and his partner Lisa Hogan are seen attending the first match as sponsor of the team. As Chadlington took on their reserve side, Clarkson is seen joking about not knowing any of the names of his players.
The club had something to celebrate this week, after beating Siege FC in the final of the Watts Junior Challenge Cup. They have some way to go if they are going to replicate the Wrexham story, however.
The North Wales side were promoted to League Two this season to end a 15-year spell out of the Football League. They are already preparing for next season, having announced a new shirt sponsor and a sponsorship for their stadium.
From July 1, their home will no longer be known as The Racecourse Ground after a deal with US drinks company SToK Cold Brew Coffee was agreed. That means it will be known as SToK Racecourse, or SToK Cae Ras.
Meanwhile, Reynolds' wife Blake Lively has become the main sponsor with her own brand of beverages. Lively, who has also sponsored Wrexham's pre-season tour in the United States, will see her company Betty's Buzz sponsor the training tops for all of Wrexham's teams.
Wrexham are set to play two pre-season games in the United States this off-season, against Premier League giants Manchester United in California and Chelsea in North Carolina.
