Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have revealed their favourite moments from Wrexham’s promotion season.
Wrexham won the National League title to earn promotion to the Football League for the first time in 15 years. They will be joined in League Two by Notts County, who beat Chesterfield Town in the Playoff final last weekend.
Just days after the conclusion of Wrexham’s season, the players were treated to a luxury four-day trip to Las Vegas. The celebratory holiday saw the players enjoy famous sights including the MGM Grand, the Bellagio and the Hakkasan night club.
Now that Wrexham have been promoted, work will begin to prepare for the new season. The club recently announced their retained list, which saw a contract extension handed to Paul Mullin, but 11 players released as free agents.
Both Reynolds and McElhenney appeared on the Fearless in Devotion podcast to discuss Wrexham’s promotion year. The duo were each asked for their favourite moments from across the campaign.
McElhenney chose the game that saw Wrexham Women’s team play at the sold out Racecourse Ground in March. The team had already secured promotion from the Genero Adran North, but McElhenney says the support from the whole town for that game is something he’ll never forget.
When asked his favorite moment, McElhenney said: “That's so unfair. Wow. If I'm being dead honest, it's Rosie Hughes scoring that goal at the Racecourse.
“Having followed that part of the organization for the last year and following Rosie's story in particular. How cathartic and a dream come true it was to play at a full Racecourse.
“They're used to playing in front of a few hundred, then to go in front of 10,000. For me it wasn't just a celebration for the women - it was a celebration for the town itself. It's emblematic of exactly what we were hoping to happen with the community.
“They've galvanized and you all show for each other. Ryan and I weren't sure when we opened up the ticket sales for that game that there would be the same interest as a men's game. And it was because the people said 'let's show up and support everyone'.
“I get goosebumps when I think about it. It's not about the win, that didn't matter as they'd already won the league. I think it's 10,000 people showing up to support another part of the community which I found beautiful.”
Reynolds provided a different moment for his choice. He chose the penalty save from Ben Foster in the top-of-the-table clash against Notts County at the beginning of April.
Wrexham won the game 3-2, but Notts County had a penalty in the final minute of the game to level the contest. Foster saved the spot-kick, and Reynolds says that moment is something he’ll never forget.
“Paul Mullin wants to be the male Rosie Hughes,” said Reynolds. “One of my favorite moments was everyone signing one of Mullin's hat trick balls and I think it was Jordan Davies who put 'Rosie would have got four.' I thought that was great.
“But for me it's pretty hard to top the feeling when Ben Foster saved that penalty from Cedwyn Scott. I saw something on social media of Ben, explaining his perfect moment as a goalkeeper - and it was a year before.
“And he'd described that moment and he'd never had that moment before. And he retired. And it had never happened to him but he explained it's the last minute of the game, the last play, it's all on the line, you're playing another top side and this guy is going to put in the net 10 times out of 10. But not today. Not today.
“He called 'a shot'. It's what Babe Ruth used to do in American sports. Ben called it and it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. I don't know I've ever felt as good as the legal drug of Ben Foster saving that penalty against Notts County.
“Then that Scott guy scoring the winning penalty at Wembley to take those guys up (vs Chesterfield). That's storytelling.”
