Hollywood in the gantry: Welsh derby gets Wrexham-heavy makeover | Championship

The daily ritual of the modern football fan is well established: check the fixtures and TV listings, then decide which match to half-follow while gawping at social media as a second screen. On most nights in March this year there has been either a Premier League or Champions League game to provide turf-coloured backlight to the doomscroll. Until Friday night.

Clearly the suits at Sky Sports thought Wrexham v Swansea City on a Friday night needed its own sideshow. A clash between two historic Welsh clubs just five points apart in the battle for the Championship playoff places may not appeal to the TikTok generation. If only there were some Hollywood actors on hand to step into the content void, relegating Daniel Mann and Andy Hinchcliffe to second-string commentary choice.

Luckily, Wrexham’s co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac were happy to oblige on the fifth anniversary of their £2m takeover of the then National League outfit. “As with our decision to take over Wrexham, we genuinely have no idea how this will go,” the pair chimed – presumably in unison – on a cheery press release before the broadcast.

“It’s going to be very Wrexham-heavy, we make no apologies for that,” said David Prutton, standing alongside the Hollywood duo on the gantry before kick-off. In fairness, Mann and Hinchcliffe were available for regular commentary on another channel, but it was still an alarming admission; Sky Sports had spawned a Wrexham fan channel for one night only.

Maybe you cannot blame the broadcaster for agreeing to the stunt. We live in a world where content – any content – is king, especially in football. A world in which David Beckham was joined by Tom Cruise, Stanley Tucci and Tom Brady for “Beckham and Friends” Champions League watchalongs on Paramount+ last season. A world that puts Mark Goldbridge and The United Strand to the fore of the media landscape. The game so often feels secondary.

Another of the (many) fears with all this was the potential for cringey American soccerisms. Talk of rushing yards, rosters and cleats; accidentally calling Swansea the South Wales Swans or something. It was clear, however, that Reynolds and Mac were largely wise to such worries. The former was once admonished by the latter for using the S-word, but otherwise stayed in his lane. A big factor in Wrexham’s success in recent years has been the pair’s steadfast refusal to involve themselves in football matters. They are cheerleader owners, “happy clappers” as Reynolds said. They leave it to the experts.

And they were really into the match. Arthur Okonkwo’s superb low save to deny the Championship top goalscorer, Zan Vipotnik, was marvelled at; Nathan Broadhead’s goal for Wrexham against the run of play had Mac purring with admiration. “Look at the poise!” he wowed after a hearty high-five with Reynolds. The Deadpool star squealed “here we go” every time Wrexham crossed into Swansea territory. The pure relief as a late own goal made it 2-0 was palpable.

OK, they didn’t scream abuse at the referee and they paid their opponent lots of respect, but their reactions felt authentic. You may not have welcomed their entry in British football, but it’s clear they have assimilated into it.

They were joined by a cast of former and current Wrexham favourites on the mic: Ben Foster, Ollie Palmer, Steven Fletcher and others briefly sidled up to Reynolds and Mac. It was a little saccharine at times, but there were moments of genuine insight into the duo’s ownership style, an episode of Welcome to Wrexham filmed in real time.

The flipside to it all, of course, was what on earth Swansea fans were thinking. Did any of them tune in? Either way they would be within their rights to bristle at Sky’s pandering to Wrexham’s celebrity owners. But then again, the visitors now count Snoop Dogg among their ownership cartel. To even things up, maybe Swansea’s next game should be soundtracked by West Coast hip-hop live on TNT.

When Reynolds and Mac bought Wrexham there were fears the football would be overshadowed, that the Hollywood vibes would take precedence over striving for on-field success. And sure, the Hollywood cash has helped heaps, but Wrexham under Phil Parkinson have achieved plenty. Three successive promotions, with a fourth now possible after this 2-0 win boosted their playoff hopes.

To watch these two famous actors who, by their own admission, had zero footballing knowledge five years ago, live and breathe every kick of a Championship game on a Friday night was actually refreshing. Yes it was a sideshow of sorts, and it should probably remain a one-off, but this was a very watchable second screen.