Football is life
Although there isn’t one satisfactory answer to that, McElhenney offers his working-class upbringing as a point of recognition and empathy. ‘‘Even though I’ve never been there, it reminds me of Philadelphia,’’ he says.
The documentary was planned before the takeover was completed, so there are cameras there at every step of the way. Reynolds and McElhenney are selfdeprecating and funny. They obviously care. There is an excruciating scene as Ker introduces himself to the squad, admitting that he is a TV writer and that this is the extent of his qualifications to be the club’s ‘‘executive director’’. Never has a room full of men looked less impressed.
Unsurprisingly, the footage has been put together with Hollywood pomp. Matches are given the high-tension treatment, with dramatic music, slowmotion shots and cliffhangers. It is hard not to be gripped by it. I suspect it will be all the more effective on people, like me, who have not followed Wrexham’s journey closely in the past two years.
Reynolds and McElhenney offered financial support and hope when they bought the club. They know that their fame can make Wrexham famous on a much larger scale. They bring in big-name sponsors and turn their social media spotlight on to the team. For example, while it is vague on the details, they make it possible for the grass on the pitch to be replaced at great — and unexpected — expense. In the words of Shaun Harvey, an adviser to the board, they have to ‘‘utilise that celebrity asset’’ — and they do.
That seems to be the case with this series, which is a game of two halves. I am sure that everyone involved is aware of the compromise. But it is at its best when it steps away from its star power and focuses on the town, the players and the supporters. I could have spent hours in the Turf Hotel, a pub right at the gates of the Racecourse Ground, watching and listening to the supporters whose lives are built around the club.
People talk about illness, money, family, the impact of Covid and lockdowns. One man speaks about the breakdown of his relationship with the mother of his sons and his frustrations at his repetitive job as a painter-decorator for the council: ‘‘There’s got to be something more to life than this.’’ A woman opens up about the fear of coming off disability benefits and entering full-time work again. Football unites them all. These stories are bigger than the stars, even if the stars have to be there to invite in the viewers. —
The first two episodes of
are now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes available each Thursday.