A SCRIPT MADE IN HOLLYWOOD
BEN TOZER still remembers the sense of achievement when he made his FA Cup debut.
Then a teenager at Swindon Town as they took on Wycombe, the 32-year-old Wrexham defender would never have imagined the memories the competition would give him in his career.
At Newport County he was part of the side that took Tottenham to a Wembley replay, while he was man of the match for Cheltenham Town when they gave Manchester City a scare just two years ago, leading before losing 3-1.
“The FA Cup is the FA Cup,” Tozer tells The NLP. “I remember my first game and the buzz I had around it thinking, ‘Wow, I am playing in the FA Cup’. It’s a prestigious competition and I’ve been fortunate enough to play in quite a few since. So I never take it for granted, I just try to enjoy it and get as far as I can. I’ve been to the fourth round before but I’ve never been to the fifth. For my own personal target it would be great.”
The next chance is on Tuesday, with Tozer part of writing another FA Cup story – with drama that the Red Dragons’ Hollywood owners wouldn’t dare have dreamt up.
Watched on by Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, Wrexham followed their third round 4-3 win over Coventry City with a thriller at a packed Racecourse last Sunday.
Despite seeing influential defenders Aaron Hayden and Jordan Tunnicliffe limp off inside the opening ten minutes, Phil Parkinson’s side recovered from an early Oli McBurnie goal to hit back in a stunning second half.
James Jones equalised on 50 minutes before Tom O’Connor put them ahead just after the hour.
The lead didn’t last long with Oliver Norwood equalising for the Premier League-chasing Blades, who were reduced to ten men when Daniel Jebbison was shown red.
Wrexham hot-shot Paul Mullin fired the National League side 3-2 in front with six minutes of the 90 remaining, only for a 95th-minute equaliser from John Egan to set-up a replay at Bramall Lane. Eight-time Cup winners Tottenham Hotspur await in round five.
“Obviously all the excitement around it was great,” Tozer says. “Then we had the wind taken out of our sails in less than ten minutes – a goal down, two centre backs injured and you’re thinking, ‘Crikey, is this going to be worth the hit we’ve taken?’
“But we showed unbelievable character. We could have easily been two, three, even four down by half-time. But we could just smell it in the changing room at half-time that we had a real chance to win the game.
“We’re three leagues apart, they are flying in their league and are no mugs – I remember watching them on the telly against Burnley and they were quality.
“I knew before the game it would be two teams full of men, a proper FA Cup tie, we’re at home, we’re the underdogs, it was all made for a great tie.”
Character has been a big buzzword for Wrexham throughout this run, one that started with needing a replay to beat National League North Blyth Spartans. So far, they have used the momentum to ride into their leagues games, a gritty win over Bromley just days after beating Coventry a prime example, as they chase the title.
“They are real tests of your mentality,” Tozer says. “It’s easy for people to get up for the FA Cup. You’ve got all the noise, the game on telly, the owners are coming over, your family and friends are there, the stadium is bouncing – the manager doesn’t have to say anything.
Audience
“The game that follows it is sometimes the day after the Lord Mayor’s show. That’s why you have to maintain your standards every day in training. You can’t have up and down days.
“You think about all the top athletes. Even in tennis and momentum, if you come off it a little bit, you lose a game, you lose a set, you lose the match. Before you know it, it could be gone.”
There’s little doubt the arrival of Reynolds and co-owner Rob McElhenney have revitalised this corner of north Wales. Sunday’s game was the most followed on ESPN platforms in America as a whole new audience have become invested in their performances, largely thanks to the Disney+ documentary Welcome to Wrexham.
Tozer says it’s quite nice popping in and out of the bubble for training and games before going home, but is one of the key players in a dressing room that has to have the mentality to cope with the spotlight and scrutiny.
“I feel a responsibility to not let them (Reynolds and McElhenney) down as well,” Tozer says. “They could end up with egg on their face if it doesn’t work out. I feel that responsibility myself.”
While Wrexham’s story becomes known and watched across the globe, there will once again be a large travelling support in person on Tuesday.
“When I signed one of the things my agent said was how they’d sold 7,000 season tickets,” Tozer says. “It’s pretty amazing. The fans have really bought right into it.”