I'm a 43yr old man from the States, US Marine... never watched a bit of Football in my life.... Only American Football, Hockey, and Baseball. That was my jam. The Documentary got my attention and hooked me. I actually bought the NLTV package to watch Wrexham. I honestly am an infant in learning this game, but I'm all in. I'm happy to be allowed to watch this journey.
Brace yourself. Being a football fan will crush you just as hard as any sport. You've started with the sweet, their WILL be sour, but the sweet is pretty damn good.
I've always wanted to get into soccer, but as an American I never felt any connection to the really famous clubs. Watching the documentary I finally felt like I actually want to follow and support this team. They made a fan out of me for life, now if only their merch store actually had fucking stock.
Great interview. I was a Supporters Trust member, as was one of the approx 2000 people on that initial Zoom with Rob & Ryan that you see in Ep 1, and voted to allow them to buy the club. Can’t believe where we’re at now - been one hell of a last couple of years!
I hope it works out long term. Make no mistake, this team will change your town…completely. I’m hopeful you hold onto your history and heritage. I think Rob and Ryan will make sure that the community doesn’t change much. It’s the next series of owners that worries me. Eh, buying problems that we don’t have now. Enjoy the ride!
quickly for the other people who replied.... Nothing Should Pass Unopposed. and now what I really wanna know.... What happened to Chester?!?!?!?!!?!? Was it the same sort of shady owner situation... but they failed to raise the money themselves? or did not know that was an option? I assume you had a front row seat to their implosion being rivals and also part of the Trust?
Like @CymruDad I was also one of the many to put their own cash each season (term) to keep the Club going but tbf We were floundering badly, as identified both here in this interview/programme and the Welcome to Wrexham Series.
I'm from the USA and I've watched only two football/soccer matches in my life from beginning to end. Wrexham vs. Notts County and Wrexham vs. Boreham Wood. And I plan to watch many more Wrexham matches in the future. I finally have a team to support/follow.
You've been blessed. They were two great matches with superb goals. A lot of 'the grind' has less watchable matches but the interest is then in what happens in the league table.
The best managers ever took a team an made the championship love the team an the owners Congratulations There's no stopping them now looking forward to the next championship. ❤
Love how I started watching the series like "Sports... I dont like fotball. But it's Rob and Ryan.. First episode is just 30 minutes. Let's give it a try." And now some time after I have payed to watch the games on tv, and im sitting here watching this 40 min interview. And if it's Rob and Ryan, Shaun and Humphrey, Mullin and Phil, im just as invested either way!
I'm born and inbred in Wrexham, been a supporter since flynny in the 90s. This is the insightful podcast on the story I've heard, I have to say I was completely wrong about Shaun Harvey, whilst I don't agree with him on everything he's honest and his strategy is 100% bang on. Cheers chaps
It did Wrexham and the board good by failing to get promoted last year as it stopped them from getting too big for the boots...getting promoted this year made them realise..its not easy. ts good to see Wrexham back in the Football league and hope they can build and move up to the Premier League.
Definitely. I think seeing them suffer at the end of last season and not get promoted just served to make everyone more interested in the story and get behind them this season.
As a Canadian I am very proud of Ryan Reynolds. He was a child actor in Canada. He exhibits the best of what Canada holds dear. Wit and a self deprecating sense of humour. It’s in our nature. It often softens a sharp message. This is a template project. The benefits do exactly that . Benefit the communities. And there are few things better than a pub. Cheers.
I was in a few seasons of ‘the odyssey’ with him back in the day (just as an extra, but worked alongside him) and even then he was a great guy even as a teenager. No ego, super friendly, solid actor.
Brilliant interview, honest and well thought out in my opinion. As an Arsenal supporter all of my life I have seen the ups and downs of football. I found Welcome to Wrexham on UA-cam then started watching it. It’s well made, well produced and it’s selling a dream which has come true. Where does it go now? We wait in anticipation 😊 In the meantime I look forward to visiting Wrexham and if possible coming to a game.
Wow Shaun Harvey spot on at 18:00, so much opportunity for growth, clearly all involved have been very tactful in looking towards the future. Also brilliant in addressing who the "underdog" here really is.
There's a great podcast called Dragonhearts that interviews Shaun Harvey almost 18 months ago when the takeover was still quite new. Absolutely fascinating. Nice to see more here. Both Shaun and Humphrey are so important to the success of the club, and both are doing it for the love of the game. So refreshing to see.
I think S2 showcases how Shaun and Humphrey are the adults in the room raising two well-meaning wealthy teenagers. The antics that Rob and Ryan engage in are so entertaining but Shaun and Humphrey are keeping them from getting into real trouble
@@bereasonable8018 Yes. I'm glad that Season 2 is showing more of that. The episode about Shaun's holiday (or lack of) highlights their role very well.
There's a great interview somewhere where Humphrey talks about the shame of having celebrities like Paul Rudd come up to him and talk to him about it :D
At 8.40 Shaun says the club was dying because the Supporters trust that owned it did not have the money to do anything other than survive. He said there was no mismanagement. To put this in context the mismanagement by previous owners led to the Supporters Trust buying the club about 11 years ago. My son Richard Owen was the Chairman of the Trust that bought the club at that stage. This involved great efforts by a team of dedicated supporters and people who put their money into the purchase. We are proud of them and indebted to them and to the supporters who put up the money at that time. Ry'n ni yma o hyd ( We are still here) was the folk song composed by Dafyd Iwan which became the rallying call. Thank you to Ryan and Rob for buying the club and taking us forward.
Paul Mullins deserves a statue. As well as being mentioned with Rob and Ryan for the clubs success. Dude was a monster all season....and took the contract to be closer to his son and family?! Statue. That guy gets a statue.
So, I'm an American [NFL] football fan... but I became a fan when my city got a team way back in 1976. I've ridden the Seattle Seahawks roller coaster since I was 12 years old. Because of that, I can really identify with the Wrexham story. For one thing, I don't live in Seattle. I live in a blue collar garrison town in the area and sometimes we feel as far away from Seattle as Wrexham does from London, culturally speaking. I have to admit that listening to these sorts of interviews, where people who know what they're talking about are explaining the nuts and bolts of the football business in the UK, has taught me a lot. I don't know if I'll ever be a football [soccer] fan, but I'm certainly rooting for Wrexham City and I really hope she benefits from the publicity.
Shaun Harvey talks an awful lot of sense, Wrexham the town (city) as an underdog, as the club rises hopefully through the leagues, Wrexham will remain a largely forgotten place. But I would think that with continued success, and I hope it does continue, that Wrexham won't be ignored anymore. If anything, Rob and Ryan have put Wrexham back on the map.
Love to hear the real business side of the takeover! We all know there's more to the takeover, but we are on board wuth wrexham and know there's more to the club than the documentary. This insight is fascinating and really good to listen to! Good luck to Wrexham and other clubs that inevitably will have similar takeovers over the coming years!
Really good Q & A guys 👍 I remember Harvey saying at the very begining when he'd been asked to consult. He didn't know it was R & R looking to buy. He said you'd be mad to invest, seriously deep pockets would be needed. Then he heard who wanted Wrexham & it made sense 🤷♀️👍
As a Brit foorball fan viewing from overseas and thus aware of what has happened at Wrexham, I have always wondered how two American film stars, ignorant of both soccer and UK life, could do what they have done. Now watching this video I realise they are two very canny men who have gathered around themselves an equally canny group of men, all experts in their various fields, and allowed them to use their nowse and abilities, without interruption, to the betterment of the management of the club. I think this might well be a unique management strategy to Soccer? It will be interesting to see if it is copied by other persons and clubs. I will watch with interest to see how Wrexham progress in the coming 5 years, which is when they expect to be in the Premier League!
Rob and Ryan could teach a doctoral level course on how to own a football club. Do you think Daniel Levy could learn anything from them? Todd Boehly? Shaun's involvement initially was met with derision due to his time at Leeds. And without burning any bridges, he survived the idiocy of that ownership group and hopefully now has restored his reputation.
As a Wrexham fan, I think essentially it works because they put the money up, and get the chequebook out and leave the football business to the more experienced people. It’s as simple as that. They’ve nailed it.
For all the credit and accolades Rob, Ryan and Humphrey have been receiving for all they have done - and rightly so… From listening to this it sounds like Shaun deserves as much praise if not more for all he has done with his knowledge, experience and guidance to help the guys achieve what they wanted. Well done Shaun 🫡 👏👏👏
I think the only reason they are not announced is they are waiting for the numbers because R&R are going to demand serious bank, and rightfully so. These services will pay $100 million for a movie rights deal and that is 2 hours. I still can't see this season only being 18 episodes, they probably could do 2 seasons of 18 from this year alone. With the chance of double promotion, Disney would be insane not to open the vault for a few more seasons. The amount of free media promotion they got from just the team winning alone would be worth tens of millions.
@@michaelfarrow5817 Too old school set in their ways they need to get out of the 20th century and into the 21st. I’m 69, embraced modern tech. Some of these guys resist using bank cards, that’s what R&R are up against.
Watching one of the volunteers absolutely cry her eyes out, recounting the day the land developer Alexander Ferguson gutted the club ripped my heart So glad glad Rob and Ryan bought the club 😥❤
Rob & Ryan totally get it. How refreshing and inspirational is their journey. The genuine love for the club only equaled the love they share for the whole of the Wrexham community itself. Future investors and British politicians, no, all politicians. Look how they've lifted the club and Wrexham as a whole to a place they could never have imagined only 3 yrs ago 😀👏 This is what it's all about, giving people hope, backing and the tools along with hard work, that benefit's everyone, not just a few. Look at the difference it's made😀
I think I understand now. Shaun is the genius mastermind behing all that has happened, and Humphrey, Rob and Ryan were merely dragged along in his wake.
Loved the answer about how the Wrexham model can be repeated in a lot of places in England (and even in Scotland as well). I think it’s only a matter of time til we get another one. If I was the Hollywood A-lister I’d have Doncaster Rovers as my first choice… anyone else think about this a little too much?
I think something that American sports would benefit from, but will never happen, is the system of promotion and relegation. A LOT of sports teams in our leagues just do the minimum, mismanage their teams and still cash massive checks. Having fresh blood between higher and lower leagues would be great for fans. It would allow more teams, cities and communities to get involved in the sports leagues. Unfortunately, unless the NFL, NBA and MLB crash and burn and a reset button has to be pushed it will never happen.
I get a laugh when haters and pundits (often one in the same) diminish Wrexham's rise because of their deep pockets. No one slags off the big clubs for their financial advantage relative to other Premiership clubs. If money builds winners, why should Wrexham apologize for finally having the money and name brand recognition to win? They absolutely should not. Big support for all things Wrexham from this Celtic supporter. Well done.
Also, people don't want to hear this but it has got to the point where you need to buy your way out of the National League. Stockport did the same last season. Problem is, people sort of knew what the Conference National, now the National League, was 15-20 years ago. Back in the mid-2000s when everybody was broke in the division, you could be run sensibly, have your top players on £500 per week and get promotion. The pro teams were generally those who had been relegated from the EFL and everybody else was semi-pro. Yes, there was a divide but you could still be semi-pro and get promoted to the league. I remember that Dagenham & Redbridge got promoted all the way to League 1 and their highest earner was on £700 per week. Now, the average player earns £750 per week. This season, half the National League were former Football League clubs. Now, teams promoted from the National League North/South realistically now have to go pro or what's called 3/4-time, where you have a pro manager and a mixture of pro and semi pro players. Besides, teams have always bought their way up the leagues. Not so long ago that "plucky Wigan" got into the Premier League and people quickly forgot (or maybe didn't even know) that they'd bought their way up the leagues.
@@michaelfarrow5817 I'm American. Although my support for Celtic dates back decades and is absolute, I also follow MLS closely and enjoy it. European football fans love to take potshots at MLS for its closed league format. "It's plastic. It's a retiree's church league. Blah, blah, blah". It's no more plastic than any of the handful of European mega-clubs which hold dominion over the continent. That stands to reason. The same American owners of MLS clubs, also own clubs in Europe (I believe 75% of the EPL are owned either entirely or in part by Yanks). It is an utter myth that European football is a meritocracy. When was the last time a true European giant was sent down for actual match performance? How many clubs have actually realized the romantic dream of coming from nowhere and risen to Cup-lifting prominence? Obviously, my beloved Celtic swim in a very small pond. But within the confines of Scottish football, they're no more virtuous than any English or continental giant. They've used money and brand recognition to dominate... This year makes 10 league titles in 11 years. It's been nearly 40 years since any club *BUT* Celtic or Rangers won the league. At least MLS are straightforward and honest about being all about the dollars. They furthermore take intelligent steps to keep club spending in check (FFP is a bad joke, at best - in reality, a rather insulting lie), and maintain competitive balance league wide. Witness: there hasn't been a repeat MLS Cup champion since 2006, and there have been 14 *different* champions in the last 20 years. For the record, I'm not opposed to the concept of promotion and relegation. In fact, I believe it should be implemented here. But, the way it works is in desperate need of overhaul. I have thoughts on the subject, most of which would be distasteful to European fans. On the other hand, Americans have demonstrated for decades that they know a few things about marketing and selling popular culture all over the world... and that's all sport is, really, isn't it? Perhaps a little Yankee ingenuity, its vulgarity be damned, is precisely what European football needs.
@@kentgrady9226 I was a massive fan of MLS when nobody cared; domestically or internationally. I watched the games they'd put on Channel 5 in the small hours of the morning. It wasn't great but it was an American league for American players that created hardened pros. Then, about 10-12 years ago, it changed for the worse. Now, it's about getting 8 good foreign players and having the Americans around that. The mask of franchise sports has slipped more generally, especially with MLS. It's marketed as egalitarian and "socialist" but socialism exclusively for rich people is not socialism, it's plutocracy. Plutocracy is objectively for force for bad in the world. When you're corrupt and stealing money and equity for others to give it to your mates, it's kleptocracy and that's what US Soccer is. The way American players use it as a stopping point and how fans in legacy markets have abandoned teams is just a symptom of how fans and players were expected to just shut up and take it while they built franchise value for neglectful and delinquent owners. Yes, there need to be controls. However, there need to be consequences for actions for the controls to work. I look at Manchester City and the allegations against them. If they did what they've been accused of, they should lose the titles they've won and be relegated. It's always a slap on the wrist, just as it is in a franchise system. It concerns me less that MLS doesn't have repeat winners because playoffs are a crapshoot and teams don't try hard throughout the season so the Supporters Shield is meaningless. What does concern me is that there are 1.5m people within a 50 mile radius of Omaha and yet a team in Omaha has no opportunity to play at the top level, in a sport where there's no real conveyer belt to take players from school or pay-to-play academy to the pros outside a handful of markets in the country. They don't look at the closed nature of the system and the limited pool of players and connect the two. They don't recognise or, more likely, don't care that they're harming the US.
@@michaelfarrow5817 I'm struggling to think of when it might have happened, but did I mention to you that I'm from Omaha? Rather an astonishing coincidence you should cite them as an example if I didn't. I would dearly love to see my hometown club compete on a higher level. What's more, you are correct. The market is easily large enough to accommodate such a club. And Omaha is a wonderful, enthusiastic host city. If your general criticism is the corrupting influence of money on sport, full stop, then I agree with you absolutely. I also agree that North American sports leagues are essentially socialist nanny states for billionaires... Cynically ironic that the same mob who decry social safety rails for the general population, insist upon them for themselves and their pet vanity projects. I actually enjoy MLS, and the US take on the game in general, although, like you, I have sharp criticisms. But I'm not prepared to throw the baby out with the bath water. I'm 52, and have loved this game since I was a small boy. I have waited patiently all my life for the world's game to get a foothold here in my country. I now have an entertaining, if imperfectly managed, domestic premiership, a professional club in my hometown, and a national team with a fan base that is no longer satisfied with merely showing up. Quite honestly, I doubted I would ever see the day that any discussion about association football in America would be anything but a passing, snickering joke. I'm frankly just glad there's something there to criticize.
People absolutely do slag off PL clubs owned by state wealth funds - like Manchester City - and their abuse of FFP rules. It undermines all their successes. The Wrexham story is nothing like that.
It's so insightful and an open conversations and opinions! Wrexham FC will progressed with people like this two gentlemen's and the rest of people involved!!!
@@humanbeing8338 Indeed there are. Both U19 boys & girls won their respective leagues. The EFL give their members money towards academies, hence you see some clubs being relegated to the National League disbanding their set up sadly.. Apparently it's all in hand 👍
@@johnmccarthy115 oh my! U19 boys and girls should be played on their own league! Why need to be disbanded when they can be the next generation to take over the current footballers in the future!!!
The incredibly clever build up of excitement for the documentary before the documentary was exactly how Ryan harassed Hollywood into letting him make deadpool, he used his platform cleverly
Football clubs in the UK, College sports teams in the US. The level of fandom is very similar. Once you start talking about NFL, NBA, and MLB, the level of dedication really fall off.
I’m a Welsh female and don’t give a damn about football normally. Then I ‘met’ Ryan Reynolds…. 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙 So now I find myself watching this and wondering why ….
I think the classic MULTI rich ownership sticking their flingers in the pie situation was with Tom Hicks and George Gillette. Both Sports team owners in the USA with that typical hands on attitude and they completely (my humble opinion) fucked up Liverpool for a few years. They had a solid coach in Benítez and solid players but Hicks & think was more the issue than Gillette, in his Texan attitude.
Damn I wish you'd redacted H+G, all reds feel nothing but seething anger at those 2 tossers. They totally fuckd up the club. But even now with all the investment by FSG, some so called fans ain't happy 🤷♀️ no pleasing everyone & some would would argue with themselves in a dark room lol
What is this pay-per-view/streaming service to watch the team next year in the US? Most of us don't have the opportunity to go to Wales to watch, so what is our option?
EFL iFollow will be where we can watch games here in the States. If you watched any games on the national league streaming service it’s very similar. I’m hoping they will use the Wrexham home commentary team though. 🤞🏻
IDEA: Wrexham & US "sister city program": Wrexham ought to establish a permanent presence in the US to shore up (what will be) waning support when the 2-season documentary ends. They play their full season in Wrexham, as per usual. They play another full season in the US, 'adopted' by a city without a team. The same players get paid on average 3-5x more in the US. The seasons aren't perfectly complementary, so a US East Coast city would be ideal. If successful, other UK football teams could do the same, adjusting the details to determine the best combination of player contracts, roster, schedule, and salaries.
The issue with this stems from the major difference between American and European sports. Sports clubs in Europe are intrinsically tied to the location that they originated in, while American clubs are franchises that can and have left towns/cities they started in. While there would be supporters following the US team, there will never be the strong connection that is present for the actual team of wrexham. The closest thing America has to Europeans clubs is college sports. If you put a university of Alabama team anywhere outside of Alabama, it just won’t be the same, even if there are enough fans to attend games.
I'm just excited to see the next lower-league club that gets taken over by (probably american) celebrities - I can almost guarantee that there'll be more (JJ Watt is sort of one but only a minority stake, and of a now PL club) - there must be loads of other actors wanting to emulate what R & R have done!
How exactly does team "tv" stations work, like ManUtv and ChelseaTV etc.? I don't subscribe, but why can't Wrexham have their own that individuals subscribe to directly? Is there revenue sharing since it's owned by the EFL or Barclay's? Even if the game isn't streamed on WrexhamTV, why not have one?
Rights for matches are sold by league not individual clubs. This ensures the smaller supported teams get more money as they wouldn't be able to obtain the same money selling their rights individually, as you saw in La Liga previously where Barca and Madrid got a distorted amount. They have moved to a league model now because of this.
Lol who cares about last year when they got promoted this year? They clearly learned from last year’s loss, made smart signings and now they’re back in the EFL.
@@mikeweston3514 Well it's the price of success unfortunately, with your old fair-weather local fans as well as 'new' OOT fans wanting to get in on the act. I've been paying attention closely to what your owners are saying about this issue - I can see it becoming an issue and a source of tension with local fans if not managed correctly as the club hopefully rise through the divisions. Speaking as a Liverpool supporter, it's a mess in that respect - the owners have completely sold the club to the the overseas market (great - all welcome), but haven't managed the balance between local and non-local fans at all and the clubs civic identity and traditions are eroding rapidly. A Scouse accent is a rare thing in Anfield these days. Your fans definitely need to hold your club to account in this aspect and I'd advise your kids if you have any to jump on a season ticket waiting list asap no matter how big it is.
Hey Ryan. You don't know me, but your mint mobile offer is not 15 usd a month. False advertisement for this product. 45 usd for a plan. I know it is not much, but that is false advertisement.
I'm a 43yr old man from the States, US Marine... never watched a bit of Football in my life.... Only American Football, Hockey, and Baseball. That was my jam. The Documentary got my attention and hooked me. I actually bought the NLTV package to watch Wrexham. I honestly am an infant in learning this game, but I'm all in. I'm happy to be allowed to watch this journey.
Brace yourself. Being a football fan will crush you just as hard as any sport. You've started with the sweet, their WILL be sour, but the sweet is pretty damn good.
From a UK British army R.A Gunner, enjoy brother
That's pretty cool! I was the same with baseball about 20 years ago. Stumbled upon it one night on TV and hooked for life 👍
@@gunswills85 Semper Fi Brother.
I've always wanted to get into soccer, but as an American I never felt any connection to the really famous clubs. Watching the documentary I finally felt like I actually want to follow and support this team. They made a fan out of me for life, now if only their merch store actually had fucking stock.
Great interview. I was a Supporters Trust member, as was one of the approx 2000 people on that initial Zoom with Rob & Ryan that you see in Ep 1, and voted to allow them to buy the club. Can’t believe where we’re at now - been one hell of a last couple of years!
Wonder who voted no? And how are they feeling now??
I hope it works out long term. Make no mistake, this team will change your town…completely. I’m hopeful you hold onto your history and heritage. I think Rob and Ryan will make sure that the community doesn’t change much. It’s the next series of owners that worries me. Eh, buying problems that we don’t have now. Enjoy the ride!
quickly for the other people who replied.... Nothing Should Pass Unopposed.
and now what I really wanna know.... What happened to Chester?!?!?!?!!?!? Was it the same sort of shady owner situation... but they failed to raise the money themselves? or did not know that was an option?
I assume you had a front row seat to their implosion being rivals and also part of the Trust?
@@derricktalbot8846The %s were so high it reminded me of Dictator elections lol, like that what Putin gets lol
Like @CymruDad I was also one of the many to put their own cash each season (term) to keep the Club going but tbf We were floundering badly, as identified both here in this interview/programme and the Welcome to Wrexham Series.
I'm from the USA and I've watched only two football/soccer matches in my life from beginning to end. Wrexham vs. Notts County and Wrexham vs. Boreham Wood. And I plan to watch many more Wrexham matches in the future. I finally have a team to support/follow.
Good for you mate, its a great sport and if Wrexham is what got here more power to you.
Fantastic interview ❤
Welcome to the beginning of a borderline healthy obsession!
You've been blessed. They were two great matches with superb goals. A lot of 'the grind' has less watchable matches but the interest is then in what happens in the league table.
No wonder Wrexham have been successful with the likes of these two gentlemen on board the club .
One word: Professionals
The best managers ever took a team an made the championship love the team an the owners Congratulations
There's no stopping them now looking forward to the next championship. ❤
I want Shaun Harvey in charge of everything. What an incredibly sensible man, with such wonderful outlook and grasp of things.
Me too but I want him to have a year off lol
Love how I started watching the series like "Sports... I dont like fotball. But it's Rob and Ryan.. First episode is just 30 minutes. Let's give it a try."
And now some time after I have payed to watch the games on tv, and im sitting here watching this 40 min interview.
And if it's Rob and Ryan, Shaun and Humphrey, Mullin and Phil, im just as invested either way!
I'm born and inbred in Wrexham, been a supporter since flynny in the 90s. This is the insightful podcast on the story I've heard, I have to say I was completely wrong about Shaun Harvey, whilst I don't agree with him on everything he's honest and his strategy is 100% bang on. Cheers chaps
"Born and inbred" hahahah! That's a classic!
@@MrWheezyE420 I was LMAO as well 😆😆
It did Wrexham and the board good by failing to get promoted last year as it stopped them from getting too big for the boots...getting promoted this year made them realise..its not easy. ts good to see Wrexham back in the Football league and hope they can build and move up to the Premier League.
Definitely. I think seeing them suffer at the end of last season and not get promoted just served to make everyone more interested in the story and get behind them this season.
this is more insightful and interesting than most of the material on youtube regarding Wrexham. brilliant - thanks for posting
As a Canadian I am very proud of Ryan Reynolds. He was a child actor in Canada. He exhibits the best of what Canada holds dear. Wit and a self deprecating sense of humour. It’s in our nature. It often softens a sharp message. This is a template project. The benefits do exactly that . Benefit the communities. And there are few things better than a pub. Cheers.
I was in a few seasons of ‘the odyssey’ with him back in the day (just as an extra, but worked alongside him) and even then he was a great guy even as a teenager. No ego, super friendly, solid actor.
Brilliant interview, honest and well thought out in my opinion. As an Arsenal supporter all of my life I have seen the ups and downs of football. I found Welcome to Wrexham on UA-cam then started watching it. It’s well made, well produced and it’s selling a dream which has come true.
Where does it go now? We wait in anticipation 😊
In the meantime I look forward to visiting Wrexham and if possible coming to a game.
Excellent. They should be interviewed like this every year, or more often. Hearing their perspective is very informative.
They are in the series too 😉 I love the Shaun's Holiday episode 😂
Wow Shaun Harvey spot on at 18:00, so much opportunity for growth, clearly all involved have been very tactful in looking towards the future. Also brilliant in addressing who the "underdog" here really is.
There's a great podcast called Dragonhearts that interviews Shaun Harvey almost 18 months ago when the takeover was still quite new. Absolutely fascinating. Nice to see more here. Both Shaun and Humphrey are so important to the success of the club, and both are doing it for the love of the game. So refreshing to see.
I think S2 showcases how Shaun and Humphrey are the adults in the room raising two well-meaning wealthy teenagers. The antics that Rob and Ryan engage in are so entertaining but Shaun and Humphrey are keeping them from getting into real trouble
@@bereasonable8018 Yes. I'm glad that Season 2 is showing more of that. The episode about Shaun's holiday (or lack of) highlights their role very well.
@@carriew5106that episode was gold,:)
I have watched Humphrey's Star War audition "walk" so many times...it's one of the funniest moments of the series.
Poor guy never got the part, I would have hired him for effort alone ha ha ;)
There's a great interview somewhere where Humphrey talks about the shame of having celebrities like Paul Rudd come up to him and talk to him about it :D
What episode is this?
@@SeanKernan i'm tryin to find it...
@@SeanKernan Season 1 Episode 14.
At 8.40 Shaun says the club was dying because the Supporters trust that owned it did not have the money to do anything other than survive. He said there was no mismanagement. To put this in context the mismanagement by previous owners led to the Supporters Trust buying the club about 11 years ago. My son Richard Owen was the Chairman of the Trust that bought the club at that stage. This involved great efforts by a team of dedicated supporters and people who put their money into the purchase. We are proud of them and indebted to them and to the supporters who put up the money at that time. Ry'n ni yma o hyd ( We are still here) was the folk song composed by Dafyd Iwan which became the rallying call. Thank you to Ryan and Rob for buying the club and taking us forward.
Humphrey has a great sense of humour . He is presenting Wrexham and the people of the community in a special way.
Shaun Harvey is the real deal.
Getting Shaun Harvey to guide through the politics was EVERYTHING -
Well done Rob 😊
Paul Mullins deserves a statue. As well as being mentioned with Rob and Ryan for the clubs success. Dude was a monster all season....and took the contract to be closer to his son and family?! Statue. That guy gets a statue.
That was really interesting, thank you for sharing it on UA-cam. Honestly would have watched more of them talking.
I love in depth interviews like this. Thanks!
So, I'm an American [NFL] football fan... but I became a fan when my city got a team way back in 1976. I've ridden the Seattle Seahawks roller coaster since I was 12 years old. Because of that, I can really identify with the Wrexham story. For one thing, I don't live in Seattle. I live in a blue collar garrison town in the area and sometimes we feel as far away from Seattle as Wrexham does from London, culturally speaking.
I have to admit that listening to these sorts of interviews, where people who know what they're talking about are explaining the nuts and bolts of the football business in the UK, has taught me a lot. I don't know if I'll ever be a football [soccer] fan, but I'm certainly rooting for Wrexham City and I really hope she benefits from the publicity.
Fort Lewis, Tacoma...?
@@WxmRed Yeppers! I was raised all around the Puget Sound but Tacoma is home.
But Rosie Hughes? OMG, they surprised me with this spin on the women's team and it was so amazing! Thanks, what a great documentary!
one of the great sporting days of my life: flying from California to Wales to watch a match at the Racecourse. Up the town!
Love this content, Shaun & Humphrey are gold too. Up the town!
Brilliant insight to how it all began And also how the story will move forward, the town/city has faith 👍🔴⚪️
Shaun Harvey talks an awful lot of sense, Wrexham the town (city) as an underdog, as the club rises hopefully through the leagues, Wrexham will remain a largely forgotten place. But I would think that with continued success, and I hope it does continue, that Wrexham won't be ignored anymore. If anything, Rob and Ryan have put Wrexham back on the map.
Love to hear the real business side of the takeover! We all know there's more to the takeover, but we are on board wuth wrexham and know there's more to the club than the documentary. This insight is fascinating and really good to listen to! Good luck to Wrexham and other clubs that inevitably will have similar takeovers over the coming years!
Great interview, up the town 🎉🎉🎉🏴🏴🏴
Really good Q & A guys 👍
I remember Harvey saying at the very begining when he'd been asked to consult. He didn't know it was R & R looking to buy. He said you'd be mad to invest, seriously deep pockets would be needed. Then he heard who wanted Wrexham & it made sense 🤷♀️👍
Great interview guys!
As a Brit foorball fan viewing from overseas and thus aware of what has happened at Wrexham, I have always wondered how two American film stars, ignorant of both soccer and UK life, could do what they have done. Now watching this video I realise they are two very canny men who have gathered around themselves an equally canny group of men, all experts in their various fields, and allowed them to use their nowse and abilities, without interruption, to the betterment of the management of the club. I think this might well be a unique management strategy to Soccer? It will be interesting to see if it is copied by other persons and clubs. I will watch with interest to see how Wrexham progress in the coming 5 years, which is when they expect to be in the Premier League!
And a very canny woman who is CEO.
Rob and Ryan could teach a doctoral level course on how to own a football club. Do you think Daniel Levy could learn anything from them? Todd Boehly?
Shaun's involvement initially was met with derision due to his time at Leeds. And without burning any bridges, he survived the idiocy of that ownership group and hopefully now has restored his reputation.
As a Wrexham fan, I think essentially it works because they put the money up, and get the chequebook out and leave the football business to the more experienced people. It’s as simple as that. They’ve nailed it.
Todd Boehly's behaviour reminds me of when you put a billion quid into a non league team on football manager.
can't wait for season 2!
September 17 :)
For all the credit and accolades Rob, Ryan and Humphrey have been receiving for all they have done - and rightly so…
From listening to this it sounds like Shaun deserves as much praise if not more for all he has done with his knowledge, experience and guidance to help the guys achieve what they wanted.
Well done Shaun 🫡 👏👏👏
Smart people employ people who know more than they.👌
I hope season 3,4+5 of Welcome to Wrexham are being negotiated. Let's hope we see the camera crew there for league 2...
I think the only reason they are not announced is they are waiting for the numbers because R&R are going to demand serious bank, and rightfully so. These services will pay $100 million for a movie rights deal and that is 2 hours. I still can't see this season only being 18 episodes, they probably could do 2 seasons of 18 from this year alone. With the chance of double promotion, Disney would be insane not to open the vault for a few more seasons. The amount of free media promotion they got from just the team winning alone would be worth tens of millions.
There is hope for the UK when the likes of Shaun Harvey and Humphrey Ker are keeping the light on here. Football ⚽️ 💡 💰
Ironically, Shaun Harvey's name is dirt in the EFL.
@@michaelfarrow5817 Too old school set in their ways they need to get out of the 20th century and into the 21st. I’m 69, embraced modern tech. Some of these guys resist using bank cards, that’s what R&R are up against.
Watching one of the volunteers absolutely cry her eyes out, recounting the day the land developer Alexander Ferguson gutted the club ripped my heart
So glad glad Rob and Ryan bought the club 😥❤
Alex Hamilton. Alex Ferguson was the famous Manchester United manager.
It’s not just the US but us Canadians also want to watch wrexham games. And now I can thru ifollow…..and watch every game….so thank you…
Very insightful. Thank you
Humphrey was the seed!
Rob & Ryan totally get it. How refreshing and inspirational is their journey. The genuine love for the club only equaled the love they share for the whole of the Wrexham community itself.
Future investors and British politicians, no, all politicians. Look how they've lifted the club and Wrexham as a whole to a place they could never have imagined only 3 yrs ago 😀👏
This is what it's all about, giving people hope, backing and the tools along with hard work, that benefit's everyone, not just a few. Look at the difference it's made😀
As a US Born, UK raised Tottenham supporter, it’s been nice to have Wrexham to watch 😅
Tottenham fan here too. It's a nice distraction from our own ups and downs
New Wrexham Fan from South Texas..
Actually it was similarly done in Germany in Hoffenheim by a former Executive of SAP and in Leipzig by Red Bull company/owner.
I think I understand now. Shaun is the genius mastermind behing all that has happened, and Humphrey, Rob and Ryan were merely dragged along in his wake.
Loved the answer about how the Wrexham model can be repeated in a lot of places in England (and even in Scotland as well). I think it’s only a matter of time til we get another one. If I was the Hollywood A-lister I’d have Doncaster Rovers as my first choice… anyone else think about this a little too much?
I think something that American sports would benefit from, but will never happen, is the system of promotion and relegation. A LOT of sports teams in our leagues just do the minimum, mismanage their teams and still cash massive checks. Having fresh blood between higher and lower leagues would be great for fans. It would allow more teams, cities and communities to get involved in the sports leagues. Unfortunately, unless the NFL, NBA and MLB crash and burn and a reset button has to be pushed it will never happen.
This was great, I like the nitty-gritty backroom stuff
Eels on Sharks. Brilliant! And fitting. So much more than just the success of Wrexham FC.
The road is paved by Luton. I’m not a fan, but my friend is.
I get a laugh when haters and pundits (often one in the same) diminish Wrexham's rise because of their deep pockets.
No one slags off the big clubs for their financial advantage relative to other Premiership clubs.
If money builds winners, why should Wrexham apologize for finally having the money and name brand recognition to win? They absolutely should not.
Big support for all things Wrexham from this Celtic supporter. Well done.
Also, people don't want to hear this but it has got to the point where you need to buy your way out of the National League. Stockport did the same last season.
Problem is, people sort of knew what the Conference National, now the National League, was 15-20 years ago. Back in the mid-2000s when everybody was broke in the division, you could be run sensibly, have your top players on £500 per week and get promotion. The pro teams were generally those who had been relegated from the EFL and everybody else was semi-pro. Yes, there was a divide but you could still be semi-pro and get promoted to the league. I remember that Dagenham & Redbridge got promoted all the way to League 1 and their highest earner was on £700 per week.
Now, the average player earns £750 per week. This season, half the National League were former Football League clubs. Now, teams promoted from the National League North/South realistically now have to go pro or what's called 3/4-time, where you have a pro manager and a mixture of pro and semi pro players.
Besides, teams have always bought their way up the leagues. Not so long ago that "plucky Wigan" got into the Premier League and people quickly forgot (or maybe didn't even know) that they'd bought their way up the leagues.
@@michaelfarrow5817
I'm American. Although my support for Celtic dates back decades and is absolute, I also follow MLS closely and enjoy it.
European football fans love to take potshots at MLS for its closed league format. "It's plastic. It's a retiree's church league. Blah, blah, blah".
It's no more plastic than any of the handful of European mega-clubs which hold dominion over the continent. That stands to reason. The same American owners of MLS clubs, also own clubs in Europe (I believe 75% of the EPL are owned either entirely or in part by Yanks).
It is an utter myth that European football is a meritocracy. When was the last time a true European giant was sent down for actual match performance? How many clubs have actually realized the romantic dream of coming from nowhere and risen to Cup-lifting prominence?
Obviously, my beloved Celtic swim in a very small pond. But within the confines of Scottish football, they're no more virtuous than any English or continental giant. They've used money and brand recognition to dominate... This year makes 10 league titles in 11 years. It's been nearly 40 years since any club *BUT* Celtic or Rangers won the league.
At least MLS are straightforward and honest about being all about the dollars. They furthermore take intelligent steps to keep club spending in check (FFP is a bad joke, at best - in reality, a rather insulting lie), and maintain competitive balance league wide. Witness: there hasn't been a repeat MLS Cup champion since 2006, and there have been 14 *different* champions in the last 20 years.
For the record, I'm not opposed to the concept of promotion and relegation. In fact, I believe it should be implemented here. But, the way it works is in desperate need of overhaul. I have thoughts on the subject, most of which would be distasteful to European fans.
On the other hand, Americans have demonstrated for decades that they know a few things about marketing and selling popular culture all over the world... and that's all sport is, really, isn't it? Perhaps a little Yankee ingenuity, its vulgarity be damned, is precisely what European football needs.
@@kentgrady9226 I was a massive fan of MLS when nobody cared; domestically or internationally. I watched the games they'd put on Channel 5 in the small hours of the morning. It wasn't great but it was an American league for American players that created hardened pros.
Then, about 10-12 years ago, it changed for the worse. Now, it's about getting 8 good foreign players and having the Americans around that. The mask of franchise sports has slipped more generally, especially with MLS. It's marketed as egalitarian and "socialist" but socialism exclusively for rich people is not socialism, it's plutocracy. Plutocracy is objectively for force for bad in the world. When you're corrupt and stealing money and equity for others to give it to your mates, it's kleptocracy and that's what US Soccer is. The way American players use it as a stopping point and how fans in legacy markets have abandoned teams is just a symptom of how fans and players were expected to just shut up and take it while they built franchise value for neglectful and delinquent owners.
Yes, there need to be controls. However, there need to be consequences for actions for the controls to work. I look at Manchester City and the allegations against them. If they did what they've been accused of, they should lose the titles they've won and be relegated. It's always a slap on the wrist, just as it is in a franchise system.
It concerns me less that MLS doesn't have repeat winners because playoffs are a crapshoot and teams don't try hard throughout the season so the Supporters Shield is meaningless. What does concern me is that there are 1.5m people within a 50 mile radius of Omaha and yet a team in Omaha has no opportunity to play at the top level, in a sport where there's no real conveyer belt to take players from school or pay-to-play academy to the pros outside a handful of markets in the country. They don't look at the closed nature of the system and the limited pool of players and connect the two. They don't recognise or, more likely, don't care that they're harming the US.
@@michaelfarrow5817
I'm struggling to think of when it might have happened, but did I mention to you that I'm from Omaha? Rather an astonishing coincidence you should cite them as an example if I didn't. I would dearly love to see my hometown club compete on a higher level. What's more, you are correct. The market is easily large enough to accommodate such a club. And Omaha is a wonderful, enthusiastic host city.
If your general criticism is the corrupting influence of money on sport, full stop, then I agree with you absolutely. I also agree that North American sports leagues are essentially socialist nanny states for billionaires... Cynically ironic that the same mob who decry social safety rails for the general population, insist upon them for themselves and their pet vanity projects.
I actually enjoy MLS, and the US take on the game in general, although, like you, I have sharp criticisms. But I'm not prepared to throw the baby out with the bath water.
I'm 52, and have loved this game since I was a small boy. I have waited patiently all my life for the world's game to get a foothold here in my country. I now have an entertaining, if imperfectly managed, domestic premiership, a professional club in my hometown, and a national team with a fan base that is no longer satisfied with merely showing up.
Quite honestly, I doubted I would ever see the day that any discussion about association football in America would be anything but a passing, snickering joke. I'm frankly just glad there's something there to criticize.
People absolutely do slag off PL clubs owned by state wealth funds - like Manchester City - and their abuse of FFP rules. It undermines all their successes. The Wrexham story is nothing like that.
amzing video
I love this sort of look BTS. It makes you wonder whether the (fairly serious) pitch to Gareth Bale was sanctioned or loose canon antics!😂😂
Either way it generated more publicity. ;)
That's awesome. Jackson actually loves football ⚽ very much. He's a great kid that does a podcast with his good friend Sportskey sports podcast
It's so insightful and an open conversations and opinions! Wrexham FC will progressed with people like this two gentlemen's and the rest of people involved!!!
Now Wrexham have the men football team...the women football team...is there the youth football teams!!????
@@humanbeing8338 Indeed there are. Both U19 boys & girls won their respective leagues. The EFL give their members money towards academies, hence you see some clubs being relegated to the National League disbanding their set up sadly..
Apparently it's all in hand 👍
@@johnmccarthy115 oh my! U19 boys and girls should be played on their own league! Why need to be disbanded when they can be the next generation to take over the current footballers in the future!!!
@@humanbeing8338Academies are expensive. Most relegated clubs will concentrate on their men's first team & only that
@@johnmccarthy115 oh...that sad. But the least they going to get a good education out of it!!!!
I'm amazed nobody has done the same with Merthyr Town F.C. yet.
The incredibly clever build up of excitement for the documentary before the documentary was exactly how Ryan harassed Hollywood into letting him make deadpool, he used his platform cleverly
Football clubs in the UK, College sports teams in the US. The level of fandom is very similar. Once you start talking about NFL, NBA, and MLB, the level of dedication really fall off.
Yeah but, as a highly experienced Customer Service manager, I assure you that "being over qualified" matters to hiring managers.....
I’m a Welsh female and don’t give a damn about football normally.
Then I ‘met’ Ryan Reynolds….
💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
So now I find myself watching this and wondering why ….
Shaun reminds of a couple of bosses I’ve had. 😂
The Glazers at Man U are the polar opposites to Ryan and Rob as club owners. Good thing, Liverpool got rid of Hicks and Gillett.
😂 they didn’t jump up and down when the game was over, their reaction, especially Rob's, was more of a big sigh of relief.
Utter shock too "what now?"
I think the classic MULTI rich ownership sticking their flingers in the pie situation was with Tom Hicks and George Gillette. Both Sports team owners in the USA with that typical hands on attitude and they completely (my humble opinion) fucked up Liverpool for a few years. They had a solid coach in Benítez and solid players but Hicks & think was more the issue than Gillette, in his Texan attitude.
Damn I wish you'd redacted H+G, all reds feel nothing but seething anger at those 2 tossers. They totally fuckd up the club.
But even now with all the investment by FSG, some so called fans ain't happy 🤷♀️ no pleasing everyone & some would would argue with themselves in a dark room lol
the american auto and mister quest plugs killed me. in the us that wouldve gotten a big laugh
Nick's shadow kills me 23:20
What is this pay-per-view/streaming service to watch the team next year in the US? Most of us don't have the opportunity to go to Wales to watch, so what is our option?
EFL iFollow will be where we can watch games here in the States. If you watched any games on the national league streaming service it’s very similar. I’m hoping they will use the Wrexham home commentary team though. 🤞🏻
@@NorCalPhil Thanks! I agree, loved the Wrexham commentary team.
I’m not completely sure, but I think I heard one of them saying they were seeing the match on ESPN or ESPN+, will look it up
@@rolandovivot That was just the for F.A. cup (Espn has the rights)
@@NorCalPhil ahh gotta love Disney Mark & the posse + food reportage 😁👍 & all volunteers to boot
Shout out to Ryan’s (best) friend…
IDEA: Wrexham & US "sister city program": Wrexham ought to establish a permanent presence in the US to shore up (what will be) waning support when the 2-season documentary ends. They play their full season in Wrexham, as per usual. They play another full season in the US, 'adopted' by a city without a team. The same players get paid on average 3-5x more in the US. The seasons aren't perfectly complementary, so a US East Coast city would be ideal. If successful, other UK football teams could do the same, adjusting the details to determine the best combination of player contracts, roster, schedule, and salaries.
The issue with this stems from the major difference between American and European sports. Sports clubs in Europe are intrinsically tied to the location that they originated in, while American clubs are franchises that can and have left towns/cities they started in. While there would be supporters following the US team, there will never be the strong connection that is present for the actual team of wrexham.
The closest thing America has to Europeans clubs is college sports. If you put a university of Alabama team anywhere outside of Alabama, it just won’t be the same, even if there are enough fans to attend games.
I'm just excited to see the next lower-league club that gets taken over by (probably american) celebrities - I can almost guarantee that there'll be more (JJ Watt is sort of one but only a minority stake, and of a now PL club) - there must be loads of other actors wanting to emulate what R & R have done!
How exactly does team "tv" stations work, like ManUtv and ChelseaTV etc.? I don't subscribe, but why can't Wrexham have their own that individuals subscribe to directly? Is there revenue sharing since it's owned by the EFL or Barclay's? Even if the game isn't streamed on WrexhamTV, why not have one?
Rights for matches are sold by league not individual clubs. This ensures the smaller supported teams get more money as they wouldn't be able to obtain the same money selling their rights individually, as you saw in La Liga previously where Barca and Madrid got a distorted amount. They have moved to a league model now because of this.
The club tv channels don't show the matches live.
"The most talked about takeover in sport" Lol
So " sunderland till i die " movie documentary is the early why they bought the club
blew it last year , biggest budget in the league by far , whats all the fuss
Lol who cares about last year when they got promoted this year? They clearly learned from last year’s loss, made smart signings and now they’re back in the EFL.
Locals can't get tickets
Honest question - what proportion of those locals you talk about do you think went regularly before the takeover?
It's that worst or better than be a non league club?
The new stand will fix that.
Well before takeover we average 5700 now its sold out every week can't wait for the kop
@@mikeweston3514 Well it's the price of success unfortunately, with your old fair-weather local fans as well as 'new' OOT fans wanting to get in on the act. I've been paying attention closely to what your owners are saying about this issue - I can see it becoming an issue and a source of tension with local fans if not managed correctly as the club hopefully rise through the divisions. Speaking as a Liverpool supporter, it's a mess in that respect - the owners have completely sold the club to the the overseas market (great - all welcome), but haven't managed the balance between local and non-local fans at all and the clubs civic identity and traditions are eroding rapidly. A Scouse accent is a rare thing in Anfield these days. Your fans definitely need to hold your club to account in this aspect and I'd advise your kids if you have any to jump on a season ticket waiting list asap no matter how big it is.
Hey Ryan. You don't know me, but your mint mobile offer is not 15 usd a month. False advertisement for this product. 45 usd for a plan. I know it is not much, but that is false advertisement.
shaun harvey the biggest con man in football.
TWO Hollywood owners???
Who's the second?
I know about Ryan (and his little mate Rick), but I didn't know there was a second...
You've tried too hard to be funny , a one liner would of worked but this is a huge miss. unlucky