We're living the absolute best life, aren't we? Do you know what I mean?
We're in a stronger position now, with the favorable results we've had…
- Yeah. - …than we were in the summer.
What a week it's been for Wrexham.
Into the playoff picture for the first time this season.
Kaboré now. Dinks it in. And Windass across the face…
And it's in!
Wrexham take the lead!
And a 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday,
keeping that margin into the top six.
I think we're holding our own.
And I think after, in the January transfer window,
I think he'll have a look.
We're entering the final days of the transfer window.
It'll be the final chance to make any alterations
to try and get to the Premier League.
I think we need about, uh, two or three signings.
I think Ryan Hardie will leave.
I still think we need another big target man up front.
February the 2nd, that is when the window will slam shut.
We're talking about bringing additional players into the squad.
And at the end of the last transfer window,
many players went out who weren't going to be in our 25-man squad,
so you do have to find a home for them to be able to play.
It's just a fact of life that as squads evolve,
players who have played such a big part in the club's past need to move on,
and it won't just be Paul.
- What's this? - I have Jacob Mendy's
lovely shirt to keep forever. Bless him.
But I do wish Jacob all the very best. He's been very special.
He was leaving to go to Peterborough today.
I-I know, he just got me crying.
Oh.
Love him lots, we do.
Love him lots.
- Okay, yeah. Same. - Always, always in my heart, this lad.
He's been one of my favorites. Jacob.
I enjoyed every single bit of it. Like, you meet this kind of people.
Sometimes, you have to leave people.
- Like, I can't. - He's making me cry again.
It's-It's not easy, but you have… you have to accept in any walk of life
that your-your time will come.
I always live by a saying,
"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
And that's exactly how I look back on my experience at Wrex-Wrexham.
We've seen already that Ollie Palmer's left the club.
You know, we are getting down to the merest small handful of players
who have now been on this whole journey with us.
It always feels bad to say goodbye,
and we've had to do it year after year, and yet we always stay connected.
'Cause you can take a person out of Wrexham,
but you can never take Wrexham out of the person.
♪ Don't forget where you came from ♪
♪ Don't forget what you're made of ♪
♪ The ones who were there ♪
♪ When no one else would care ♪
♪ Don't be afraid to cry now ♪
♪Even when the world comes crashing in ♪
♪ Don't forget to sing when you win ♪
This is your half-hour call. You now have 30 minutes.
So it's called Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas,
and I'm playing Sherlock Holmes.
I've uncovered a serial killer.
He's following the 12 Days of Christmas.
It is a brand-new play.
It's written by me and Dave Reed, who plays Dr. Watson.
We're old pals from university days.
Where is he?
It's been very good. You know, people of Birmingham have taken to it,
which is all we can ask for, really.
Hopefully, we'll get to do it again.
Come here.
Thank you so much.
- That's the Birmingham City fan. - Oh! Yeah, it is.
As time has gone on, my role at the club has kinda changed,
and, you know, I think there's less necessity for me to be involved.
I feel less part of it, less connected to what's going on, um, which is a shame.
But, you know, that's sort of the nature of the beast, really.
Hello.
I'm Humphrey. I'm-I'm, uh, over from…
I'm like Rob and Ryan's guy. That's how I'd describe myself.
I'm still on the board, and I still do this, that, and the other,
but, like, I feel a bit more like a sort of stranger now.
Just a quick introduction. This is Humphrey.
He's coming in as chief executive director, is it?
Just executive director. I don't wanna build myself up too much.
I don't know. I think because this year,
my other work has, like, ramped back up in a big way.
You know, you find yourself slightly kind of coming back down to earth
and being like, "Right, yes, it was…
It was a glorious fever dream in some ways,
and now you have… the sort of reality of life reasserts itself."
It's just very difficult when you're…
There's something that you really love and that you helped to foster and create.
Having felt, like, fundamentally part of it
and part of the kind of decision-making structure
and someone whose, like, opinion and advice was sought.
- And we'll talk about it after-- - Can you put me in touch with…
- Phil Parkinson? - I can try.
- Okay. - I can try.
Um, that's not really the case anymore.
Everything changes. Life is… You know, life is entropy.
It was never going to be always the same thing, always what it was,
but, um…
Yeah, I sort of… I miss… I miss the good old days in some ways.
Though, obviously, I'm still a part of Wrexham,
and it's a massive part of me and always will be.
Nothing could ever take away the pride I have in what I've helped build.
Steve, so, what's the most you can afford?
Everything's blowing up on this.
I just want you to make sure we don't lose friends.
Tell him to fuck off.
That sounds like a deal somebody doesn't really want to do.
Just get it as far below two million as you can.
We've arrived again at deadline day.
We've had a busy few days.
And obviously, we've got Zak Vyner across the line last night.
You guys okay? Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
When I had the interest from Wrexham, I was like,
"All right, well, they're clearly an ambitious club, you know.
I can't turn that down."
Our sole objective is to get Phil the strongest squad possible
for the second half of the season.
And the phone's just gonna keep on ringing.
Hiya, Frank.
Phil's approach to transfer window is perhaps a little unorthodox.
They said 2.5. We went back to 1.5.
They've come back and said no. They still want the 2.5.
A lot of moves are done quickly
by a lot of other clubs who knew what they're gonna do.
The question comes down to how much you want to try and push it.
Our approach is wait till the very end.
It's important, but equally you can't be reckless.
Good for TV. Not good for-for my stress, um…
So Keillor-Dunn's passed his medic… passed his medical, yeah.
Davis Keillor-Dunn, a familiar face to many of us from his first spell here.
Keillor-Dunn shoots into the net!
Davis Keillor-Dunn, I'm excited about him.
I think he's one of these players who deserves a chance at this next level.
All right, Michael. So Cadamarteri.
We've agreed terms with Bailey Cadamarteri and Sheffield Wednesday.
We-We're done.
Will any of the players that come in individually make the difference?
Let's give them every single tool we can
to see if they can achieve, you know, that miracle promotion,
you know, and get to back-to-back to back-to-back.
which would just be, arguably, one of sports' greatest ever stories.
We sit here after your departure to return home to Derry City.
Just how's the feelings been over the past week?
I love it here, um…
Be sad to go.
But in the same sense, I'm getting to go home now.
Normally, when you leave a club, uh, it is what it is, and you just kinda…
kinda move on, um…
But this club, you know, it's-it's-it's been special,
I had special times here.
I think it's just how-how you're treated here,
the connection you have with each other, with the fans.
Obviously with the owners, I think,
how involved they are on a… on a personal level.
You don't really get that with a lot of owners. They make you feel
really part of the club, really special.
It is. It's a magic club. It's…
It's a mad-- it's a madness, but it's a good madness.
Like, every day, there's just something where you're going,
like, "This doesn't happen anywhere else," and that's…
that's what-- that's what…
…that's what makes it special.
Jimmy moved on. Obviously, he was a leader.
He's been a great player for us. He's a great lad.
The time was right for Jimmy.
He wanted to play, um, and he deserves to play.
He's too good a player not to-to be in someone's squad or team.
Well, I gotta go home, don't I?
Never been someone to just sit and pick up a wage,
and I wanna play as much as I can.
That's why I'm going home, 'cause I wanna… I wanna do that.
Still love the game. Still have passion for the game.
A lot of players go back when…
as a PR thing, when they've got nothing left to give.
I didn't want that to be the case.
I always wanted to go back and give everything for the cause and…
I just… I hope the fans see that I've done that here with passion and care,
um, because I do, I care a lot about this club.
Thank you for everything you've done for us.
Thank you. No, it's been a pleasure. Thank you.
Changed my mind. I'm staying.
This club has the potential to go and do great things,
and I'll always be proud looking back on…
being part of that journey.
- All the best. Thanks, Jimmo. - Cheers.
- No worries. See you. - See you later. Cheers.
Thanks, Phil.
- Yeah, I'm rolling. - It's That Wrexham Podcast,
and today we're gonna be taking a look at the current 25-26 season.
And contrasting that to back in your day, Toze.
National League, League Two, and seeing how they stack up.
Beautiful.
For me, going on a podcast, Fozzy and Tom approached me.
I've retired. I know so many people behind the scenes as well as players,
and getting them to talk and understanding and appreciating the roles
that they do day in and day out.
I just think it's great to be a part of that moving forward.
It felt like a no-brainer.
What does… What does this little team in Wales mean to you?
- Do you know what, like… - Little team.
It was my most enjoyable two years of my career.
Honestly, I've played in the Premier League.
I've played in cup finals. I've played in France, and…
nothing like… I don't know, something just…
it just does something to you when you come in.
When you leave a club, right, the door shuts.
That's it, we're done. But at Wrexham, it just feels different.
When I go up there, I feel the part that I've played there, I value it.
I don't wanna just walk away from it and feel like, "Oh, do you know what,
that was a chapter in my life and my career, you know, leave it."
It's almost like a legacy, isn't it? With your kids and they…
The people where I'm from here, we're two and a half hours away from Wrexham.
And everyone only ever wants to speak about Wrexham.
We're lucky where…
I mean, a lot of the boys, there's been a lot of change,
but even the boys before and the boys who come in,
they've all got quality, and they're all really good guys.
It was so easy to walk into the changing room.
It's just everyone's just wanting to be there together.
The people the gaffer's signed, they're just good people.
There's no real big egos.
Everyone, families get along. The-The wives go out.
Makes it miles easier to be able to do what you need to do on the pitch
when all the families know each other.
And credit to the manager and the recruitment team for that.
I've always said their recruitment along the way was unbelievable.
It's sad, of course, when the players go,
but because of the aura around the club, they're never really far away.
One of the ten players
who have been back-to-back-to-back with the club.
Thank you for all your efforts with the club.
Thank you very much. That is an amazing gift.
It's been so awesome having Mia commentating,
and now Chomp also commentating matches.
Easy for Okonkwo, pushes it away.
Don't say easy. That was great goalkeeping.
Oh, totally, I… Of course.
- Goalkeepers union and that all, Mark. - Yeah.
I talk to Ollie once a week.
You can't get rid of Ollie. Like, Ollie's hilarious that way.
I talk to Paul all the time.
- Yeah… We are all in touch. - Yeah. Fletch. Yeah.
- I talk to Luke Young. - Yeah.
- Like, a week and a half ago. - I talked to Chloe Young.
And now you've got Anthony and Elliot here running their academy.
This is the Lee Forde Academy,
which is local to Wrexham. Probably five minutes from the stadium.
Come on, show me your skills.
Everyone is staying so connected and it's amazing.
We wanted to keep the family feel 'cause that's what we had at the club,
and we've got Harry Ashfield. We've got Rio.
We've got some of the women players. Erin. We've had Lily.
I think people don't wanna leave Wrexham
after you've experienced so much and all what we've been through together.
You don't wanna leave that. Certainly, that's the case for me, um…
So that's why me and Fordie put our heads together.
Whether you're a longtime fan,
someone who lives in the town
or someone who lives all over the world and you're new to the club,
- you are now a part of Wrexham. - Wrexham!
And once you are Wrexham, you are always Wrexham.
Well, the last time Wrexham got to the fifth round of the FA Cup,
Phil Parkinson still had six years left of his playing career,
and eight of our starting lineup on Friday night weren't even born.
And that's it! Wrexham are through to the fifth round of the FA cup,
a one-nil win against Ipswich Town.
It was a monumental achievement for Wrexham to get this far,
and now we're dreaming of what,
quarterfinals, the semis, maybe even going on to lift the cup.
This club has got cup glory in its blood.
Not to take anything away from the performance
because it was really good. I think the outcome was decided by the team selection
as one manager took it seriously, the other manager didn't.
Wrexham went full strength,
whereas Ipswich chose to start only one of their regular starting players.
The priority of the game was giving people minutes.
It wasn't a team picked to win.
Because everyone knows promotion is the ultimate aim.
The further a team makes it through the FA Cup competition,
the more fixtures are added to an already busy schedule.
The extra fixtures mean there's more risk of injury to players,
and every single resource at the club is stretched.
Wrexham. Wrexham. Wrexham.
Phil Parkinson knows exactly how much the FA Cup means to Wrexham,
and he was willing to assume the risk of wearing out our top players
to earn this moment for Wrexham fans everywhere.
I bloody love the FA Cup. I love cup football.
I love the idea that you can end it with a trophy.
First time in 29 years we're in the fifth round, so dare to dream.
If Phil continues to go full strength in the busy weeks ahead,
it could prove risky.
We've got a lot of important games
coming up in both League and Cup competitions.
It's time for the draw for the fifth round of the FA Cup.
And at the same time, everyone is dreaming about the prospects of facing
and possibly beating a top Premier League club.
- Come on, Karen. - Here we go.
- Five, five.
- Number five. - Wrexham.
It's coming, it's coming.
Number seven.
Oh! Chelsea.
Wrexham will host Chelsea.
Oh.
It's what you wanted!
It's a brilliant draw.
You know, it's the one thing that we've always wanted to bring
one of the top-six clubs to the Racecourse ground.
Could it really be any bigger? Probably not.
If you'd said to me, beginning of the season, "You're gonna play Chelsea
in the fifth round of the FA Cup, and we've a reasonable chance to succeed,"
- I'd have bitten your hand off for that. - Yeah.
The thing is, as long as we don't get, you know, really hammered--
- Nobody wants a kicking, do they? - You know what I mean.
I wouldn't back against Parky, mate, because this is the kind of game where,
telling you now, Chelsea, they'll be looking at this thinking,
"That's not gonna be a walk in the park." Because Wrexham, on form,
we're a bloody good side, one of the best in the Championship.
Two-nil Wrexham, all in.
I'll do you a deal.
If two-nil Wrexham comes in, your next breakfast is on the house,
and if it doesn't come in, it's double price.
There you go, my friend.
- Cheers, pal. - Take it easy.
Yeah, yeah. Look forward to your free breakfast.
Up the Town.
So today we're playing Ipswich, the second time we faced them in a week.
This time it's in the league.
Well, last week's game is a totally different game.
You played most of your starting XI, but we played all of our second team.
So today there'll be a completely different team out.
We'd rather win the league game than the FA Cup.
That's our main goal really, get-get promotion.
We're in this kind of interesting run where we're playing a load of teams
that are also pushing for promotion in some way, shape or form.
It's a sort of season-defining moment, I suppose.
I'm not here as much as I used to be, and-and so…
it's just great to kind of come in and see everybody, you know.
Remember that you're part of it, even in a smaller way.
We are about to witness a fascinating match, I suspect,
against two teams who have genuine ambitions
to get into the Premier League next season.
I like saying that about Wrexham. It feels nice.
Go on, Parky!
Wrexham have fallen just outside of a playoff spot
after a loss to Millwall and a draw to Bristol City earlier this month,
but a win here today could see them move right back
into that final playoff spot.
Look at Ipswich. As expected, ten changes, their full-strength XI.
It's going to be a good one.
Wrexham! Wrexham!
As we kick off.
Go on, the Town!
Ipswich are enjoying some good possession, got…
A sloppy pass. And Issa Kaboré intercepts!
He's got a man to beat, Leif Davis.
Drives in a cross which goes off the defender, the fullback.
Great start this by Wrexham.
Come on, Wrexham!
Windass does brilliantly, wins a header.
Moore, breaking in the box, left-hand side, tight angle,
and he scores!
What a goal by Kieffer Moore.
Yeah! What a goal!
He slams it in against his former club. Good Lord!
And Wrexham have started like a train.
Now stay on the front foot.
Let's go! Yes, come on!
Now, danger at the other end.
There's a ball towards Sheaf who's tackled in the box.
Sheaf just feeling his knee a little bit in that tackle.
You don't want to see Sheaf going down of course
with his injury record and with his quality, obviously.
Yeah, yeah.
With that many games and obviously at that point in the season,
injuries do happen.
Just looked like his toe went out in the tackle.
Like, maybe just the inside of his knee's just taken a tweak.
There's only so much you can do before,
you know, your body kind of just says, "That's enough."
There's too much movement in that for my liking.
Change, change, change.
I'm not letting you go back on with that.
So that's a shame that, after that fast start by Wrexham.
Wrexham under pressure
for the first time really in the match, pretty much.
Taylor carrying it to the edge of the area,
nice change of feet, hits the shot.
Okonkwo parries into the goalmouth. Big chance and it's there.
And Okonkwo will be disappointed there,
and they've just got themselves back into the game, haven't they?
Wrexham have just lost a bit of momentum and it's level.
Good run by Moore.
Now he's got options in the box and he gets into the area,
pulls it in, defender off balance, only half clears. Thomason!
Great save by Walton. Diving header, and it's in!
Windass scores!
Get in! 2-1!
It's a scrappy one but we don't care.
Brilliant improvisation by Windass to dive in and head it into the net.
Josh Windass, right place, right time.
Really good header, and Wrexham retake the lead.
Wrexham!
Four added minutes.
Oh, it's a brilliant touch, and Azón's got a chance.
He drills and scores. That is a superb goal.
Fucking too lazy.
And that is the problem when you play a strong team:
You can be as good as you want,
but they've got the quality to strike with class like that.
Every element of that was brilliant.
That goal is not gonna lift them and knock us, right?
So if it does, I'm gonna go fucking mad, right?
But it's gone. You've played some fucking great stuff.
It's a fucking great game to be part of.
Let's go and fucking make sure last second 45 we win it.
Wrexham!
Here we go.
Let's see what Wrexham have got in the second half.
Come on, keep it going.
How these teams start this half is going to be so important.
Burns rips the ball in, half cleared by Dobson.
Shot comes in, what a goal.
What a strike, and it's 3-2 to Ipswich.
But wow, that was hit with venom.
So Wrexham are making changes. Longman and Broadhead come on.
As the Wrexham fans are making fantastic noise in reaction to all this.
They see their team needs some help.
Broadhead bursts through the middle.
He's got players over here.
The edge of the D. Hits a shot. Deflected! Thomason!
Yes!
Come on!
Three each!
We're back in it!
Thomason, left-footed, slams it inside the left post
and Wrexham deserved that for showing heart,
and Wrexham are level.
Oh, atmosphere in here. Now we're halfway through the second half,
and all bets are off here.
Wrexham just refuse to lie down and accept that Ipswich are superior.
O'Brien with the inswinger under the bar…
Headed in!
Doyle scores!
Wrexham 4-3 up against Ipswich.
What a game this is.
And Parkinson is up on his feet, getting the crowd going.
He knows that we need to surf this crest of the wave home
as Moore wins the ball off O'Shea.
Now there's a possibility as O'Brien looks for Broadhead.
Can he finish?
Yes!
Broadhead.
Magic. 5-3.
Chelsea, careful now.
We've certainly bounced back. This team has character.
To go behind so quickly into this half.
But to stick with it and then the quality that we've shown in those moments.
Wrexham!
There is the final whistle.
What a performance, and it's gotta be said, what a team.
This is Wrexham, utterly brilliant.
And with that win,
Wrexham move back to sixth place and are in a playoff spot.
Watch out, Chelsea.
Oh, hello.
So it's gonna be a pretty crazy week.
I'm currently in LA
in the midst of a very busy shooting schedule
for the new season of Sunny,
but that is nothing compared to what the club is about to do.
They have to play three matches in a week against some of the best teams,
including Chelsea, a Premier League side,
and then Hull.
And then, of course, Swansea, who beat the shit out of us
last time we played, and that's a very important match because it's inter-Wales.
Ryan and I are going to be doing a live broadcast of that.
No one is going to curse, I promise you, no one.
- We won't curse. - We will bend, but we will not break.
So I'll be coming from LA to Wales, back to LA, back to Wales,
and then back to Sunny, and all of this is happening within the span of six days.
So no matter what happens, it's going to be a hell of a week.
But no matter how busy things get…
- Hi. - Let's go beat Chelsea.
- Hey. - Good to see you again, Rob.
…I just cannot stay away from Wrexham.
Hopefully the players don't feel any stress or pressures. Enjoy themselves.
Go out there in front of a home crowd, see if we can't shock the world.
Well, hello and welcome to Wrexham.
10,556 people. Sold out.
Wrexham haven't been in the fifth round of the FA Cup in 29 years.
We've knocked out Premier League Nottingham Forest on penalties.
We've beaten Ipswich Town.
And now standing between them and the quarter finals is Chelsea,
current reigning Club World Cup champions.
Yeah, but the people in this ground, they believe something else is possible.
So we would love to show you the Chelsea game.
Unfortunately, it is so expensive
because the rights holders are a third-party company,
and they've decided that the cost is four times what it would normally cost.
You're charged in 35-second increments.
So if you were to show, say, a goal--
One-minute increments, got it.
One-minute-long increments and they have to be, uh, sequential.
But it has to add up to a full minute?
Okay. And then it would be…
Keep it simple.
Okay, five seconds of goal, ten seconds of a goal, and then--
But if that only added up to 30 seconds, you're still paying the full minute rate?
Okay. Did everybody understand that? I still don't, but that's fine.
We're just going to go ahead and come up with a completely new and creative way
of telling a story that we totally didn't rip off
from an already very popular BBC show.
Wrexham!
- As away we go. - Wrexham!
The Wrexham fans are really involved from the start.
15 minutes in, Callum Doyle receives the ball,
plays the ball straight down the middle for Sam Smith.
He's in behind the defenders.
Takes a great touch and plays it into the bottom corner.
Yes! What a goal!
1-nil to Wrexham.
Wrexham!
Five minutes before halftime, Garnacho's gone down the side.
How unlucky. Hit Okonkwo on the back.
Gone in, one each.
Fuck off.
Gutted.
Let's go again. Come on!
Seventy-eighth minute corner on the left for George Dobson.
Ball's cleared out to Windass on the edge of the box.
He strikes cleanly and it's a cheeky little back heel from Callum Doyle.
- Fucking come on! - 2-1.
What a great goal.
A back heel in the FA Cup against the Club World Champions.
- Yes! - Who'd have thought it?
Two minutes later.
Santos slips it into the box. Acheampong's there, and he scores!
Oh, no!
Chelsea are level 2-2.
And Chelsea are back in it again!
It's the 90th minute.
Garnacho gets the ball to break.
George Dobson comes across, he goes for the ball, misses him, late challenge.
Garnacho makes a meal of it.
Dobson's given a yellow card.
- Fucking yellow card, that's all. - Stevie…
But VAR is used in this game, Video Assistant Referee.
It's a guy in a room many, many miles away,
making a decision on the referee's decisions.
It-It wasn't that bad.
They've decided that it's actually a red card.
Which is bullshit.
What the fucking hell is that?
George Dobson is sent off. Wrexham will play extra time with ten men.
That's an appalling decision.
Chelsea looking to switch it from side to side.
Looking to Pedro Neto again. He fakes the cross.
He feeds it in. The cross is a brilliant one.
Garnacho scores!
3-2 Chelsea.
Into the final minutes of extra time now,
and Wrexham still trailing.
So, Wrexham, down to ten men, get a corner on the right,
and Kieffer Moore makes his way to the near post, flicks on the first ball.
Lewis Brunt goes around the back, heads it in at the back post.
This place goes absolutely mental.
Wrexham!
Except…
VAR…
again.
Oh, no.
He's looking at offside.
Was he offside when the first touch happened from Kieffer Moore's head?
Goal disallowed.
- Fuck… - VAR.
Fuck VAR.
So, he was offside by just a little bit, like a blade of grass.
Just that much.
Chelsea scored once more in the dying seconds, 4-2.
Wrexham's FA Cup dream was over.
But here's the thing, when the final whistle went, this place didn't go quiet.
10,556 people stood up and gave the team a standing ovation.
Ten men they've just watched take the Club World Champions to extra time.
They felt what it's like to believe the impossible is about to happen.
Wrexham are coming, and everyone knows it now.
I'm a bit tired after Saturday night.
It was a long day that, wasn't it?
It's basically seven days a week at the moment, just to get through the spell.
It's exhausting, if I'm honest, at the moment.
Everybody is so busy.
The operations team, you know, they're running around
to make sure everything's organized.
Obviously, you've got Sky and all the different people
coming in, ready for the game.
The chefs are busy doing all their menus and everything.
Obviously, cleaners, hospitality, filling up all the bars.
Everybody is absolutely shattered,
I think, here at the moment.
So, God knows how the players must be
because they must be absolutely knackered themselves.
Three matches in six days for Wrexham, testing the resilience
and fitness of Phil Parkinson's squad
as they turn their attention back to league action.
Just three days after the grueling match against Chelsea,
and weakened by injury and a red card,
Wrexham are facing Hull City,
who are just above us
in the race for the playoffs.
Kick their butts.
Wrexham get things underway.
Wrexham! Wrexham! Wrexham!
Is it bad to have a big game so soon after a match
which takes so much out of you?
Unlucky, Broadie! Unlucky, son!
What I find, in them periods, the hardest part is
not necessarily physically but mentally being able to switch on.
Play one game on a Tuesday, and then you're playing on a Friday
and the team's completely different. Different tactics, different personnel.
You might play in a different position.
Just not quite on the right wavelength, are we?
It can be really challenging.
Gelhardt curls it. Good shot. Oh, it's in.
Gelhardt gives Hull the lead.
Wrexham, some tired legs, definitely, from Saturday.
The Championship's renowned for being such an intense league.
It does wear you down, you know, you do see teams dip in performances.
Miller, on to his right foot, he delivers a great ball in.
There's nothing Okonkwo can do about that!
Fuck!
Well, Wrexham, two down and in a spot of bother, to say the least.
Wow.
We haven't played like we did against Chelsea. I think they're tired.
There is no best way to prepare for those fixtures.
It's not easy, you know, you're tired.
You know you have to find something within you to go again.
Kaboré now, swings in a great cross.
And it's there! Broadhead scores!
What a ball in that was, and Broadhead couldn't miss.
Well, is there gonna be one more chance?
-Can we muster up? - Wrexham!
When you have that many games, there's so many tired bodies, tired minds,
and sometimes it just… it mounts up
and, you know, goes against you, really.
There is the final whistle.
Wrexham will be frustrated, despite all their efforts to haul back into it.
Couldn't get anything out of this game.
It was disappointing, but the players looked very tired.
But we're still in the playoffs.
We've got a game in hand, and, uh, we'll keep pushing on.
We'll keep pushing on, for sure.
- Now, here we go. - See you in Wrexham.
- Up the Town. - Up the Town.
This is our third game in six days.
I wasn't really nervous when I woke up this morning.
I haven't really been nervous all day, but now we're an hour away from kickoff,
the nerves are starting to kick in a bit.
We've got a lot to prove tonight.
We've got an awful lot at stake.
We need three points anyway to stay in the playoffs, but we also
need three points to dominate this Welsh rivalry that we've got going on.
Jack Army! Up the Swans! Come on!
Listen, if Swansea win, they go within two points of us.
And if we lose, that's three defeats in a row and we've got ten games to go.
We've got a really difficult finish.
We need to try and have it wrapped up and in a playoff place
if we can with a couple of games to spare.
A very good evening and a warm welcome
to the STōK Cae Ras in Wrexham.
We have something a little different for you here
because we are joined by none other than Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds.
Owners, actors, businessmen,
entrepreneurs, and tonight our commentators here.
Gentlemen, welcome.
How are we feeling?
- Pretty good. - Pretty nervous.
Nervous, nervous.
Most of what I know about commentating, uh, live sports
is from old episodes of Project Runway.
So, I am in big trouble tonight.
This crowd, you hear their roar as the players come onto the field.
That's such a big part
of what you've created here at the Racecourse ground, isn't it?
I think it's always been here. All we've been able to do is just amplify it,
and just put the spotlight on the town.
And in doing so, the town shows up, so much so
that, uh, it's going to be hard to hear you tonight,
which is gonna be really exciting.
Wrexham in red shirts, white shorts, get things underway.
Oh, God, here we go.
Gentlemen, what would you say
from the outside, is needed to change tonight?
I think these guys left their last drop of blood on the field with Chelsea.
At Hull City we were feeling a little hangover.
That's the only way I could really characterize it.
The guys were spent, but they were just still fighting for their lives.
So, you know, it didn't go our way that night, but hopefully tonight.
Wrexham starting on the front foot. Doyle…
Oh, he's given that away sloppily.
- Uh-oh. This was not our idea. - Fast start though by Swansea, isn't it?
- There you go. Okay. - Yes.
Goalkeeper doing his job that you brought him in for.
That man has single-handedly raised and lowered my blood pressure
more times than the season finale match.
I like playing against the teams that I've made a mistake against before.
It's headed into the goal mouth. Okonkwo comes back.
Mishandles it. It's a horrible mistake.
Oh, what happened there?
Because it's, like, "Now you've given me a reason
to perform really well against you."
Franco looks for the return pass. Vipotnik in on goal.
Great chance, this. Brilliant save by Okonkwo.
Arthur Okonkwo. Ladies and gentlemen, Arthur Okonkwo.
Not being able to pace while we do this is very hard for me, by the way.
I usually get about 8000 steps up here.
That save by Okonkwo, a key part of literally what he's here for, isn't it?
It just changes the momentum.
It's a great move.
Vyner has sent Smith down the backside of the defense.
Sam, Sam, Sam, Sam, here we go.
Not got much support.
He picks up Vyner. Good quick feet by him. O'Brien helps it on. Doyle now.
Works it in, and Broadhead has a sight of goal.
Gets round his man.
- Can he finish? Yes, he can! - Yeah!
Whoo!
Nathan Broadhead once again.
- Oh, God. - You stay, Dave.
We'll be over here, uh, having a moment.
- Enjoy it, fellas! - Whoo!
And Broadhead puts Wrexham ahead.
Wrexham!
I'll tell you who would have loved to get on the end of that: Ollie Palmer.
Ollie, welcome to the broadcast. How are we?
- Ollie Palmer, ladies and gentlemen. - How are you?
Enjoying the new career change?
Having a blast.
Now this is where we struggled actually, about two,
three minutes, uh, after we score, we tend to concede a little bit quickly.
- Dangerous right there. - My God, Arthur.
- You've got to be kidding me. - He's offside. He still saved it.
Three successive promotions, Ollie.
It was amazing to be a part of three promotions here, you know, it's a…
it's a fortress here, and I think a lot… a lot of it is to do with the…
the fans and the club and what we built here.
We just knew we was going to win week in, week out,
and it's just become a habit.
I'll always feel connected to this club and this town.
We're standing on the shoulders of giants.
Truly, even though we're going up in leagues, we wouldn't be here without,
you know, Ollie Palmer and Elliot Lee and Mark Howard, you know.
And, you know, I-I-I would put Rob Lainton in there.
I mean, guys that put everything on the line to be here.
Luke Young, and we love having the relationship with them that we…
That stays in the family. They're still around and we get…
And Steven Fletcher. We've become so close with them.
It feels like once you're part of this club, it never leaves you.
- Yeah. - Here we go.
Oh.
Towering header at the back post.
Have you guys sworn on here?
- No, no. - No?
- Do not encourage him. - Did you not see the signs?
There are signs everywhere.
All sorts of words we should not say.
If we could bring more tall, handsome guys
that I can stand in between, that'd be great for the broadcast.
Ollie, you're a real dreamboat.
Halftime here, 1-0 to Wrexham.
We're joined by someone else,
Ben Foster, goalkeeper supreme, to give us his take.
I'll tell you what, it was a tough start to the game.
It was a tough start to the game, but they… they grew into it.
Coming into the stadium, I was worried about fatigue,
- and I don't see it. - And it was key, wasn't it,
that the goalkeeper, Arthur Okonkwo, played very well in that first half
because obviously it's the most important position in your eyes.
Obviously, without a doubt. Goes without saying.
This place is so special. You can just feel it. It's a fortress.
And it's a place that will always be special to me.
Go Wrexham!
There's so many people here for this occasion.
There was Ben Foster and Tozer.
Tozer, thank you so much for joining us. How are you?
I saw Mickey Thomas, too. So, it's a blast from the past there.
It is the best thing I ever did, signing for this club.
Yeah.
When you're a Wrexham fan, and a long-standing Wrexham fan,
these faces just keep popping up. It's amazing to see.
- We're Wrexham for life. - Yeah.
Chance here though for Swansea!
- No. There we go. - Defense is so strong tonight.
- That's a proper center back. - Using that body.
Yep.
We just want them to be part of the community still.
They're just part of this journey with us now.
Steven Fletcher back in a place that he knows very well indeed.
Thanks for having me.
Favorite memory in a Wrexham shirt, Steven?
The back-to-back promotions.
Honestly, at the stage of my career I was at, it was a fantastic achievement.
One of the most emotional reactions I've ever had
- to a player leaving, was Fletch. - I'll take that compliment.
Really, it did break our hearts. Both Rob and I were kind of speechless and, uh…
Honestly, I-I… I'm still a little resentful.
Well, we're into the last minute and Thomason sweeps it in.
Great ball! Doyle!
It's there!
Wrexham in the comfort zone!
Wrexham!
Wrexham beat Swansea 2-0, get revenge for that defeat in December.
Parkinson is going nuts on the bench!
Roaring with delight. That meant a lot.
The mere fact that we're here after three successive promotions…
That, in and of itself… We've got to just stop and take stock.
Part of this too is that your daughter is here.
My son is here, my father is here.
That for us, to be able to share that with the people that we love the most
and some of whom are people we just met five years ago, that's the most special.
Got 90-year-olds sitting here who have been there since they were 6.
You have 6-year-olds sitting here who are gonna be here until they're 90
and they form memories that are indelible.
It has been a hell of a week, but we all survived,
and while we always want to win,
we realize the losses are an unavoidable part of the journey.
And anyone who has worn that kit
or who has been in the stands or has watched from home,
has contributed in such a meaningful way to get us where we are today.
In the Championship, in the playoff positions.
You can leave Wrexham, but it never leaves you.
Wrexham! Wrexham! Wrexham!
♪ Time to wash away ♪
♪ Memories left behind ♪
♪ Stars can be revealed When the skies clear ♪
♪ Voices raising up generations ♪