How Wrexham and Birmingham became global names

On Friday night, Wrexham host Birmingham City in the Championship (20:00 BST), and the world will be watching closely as the action unfolds at the Stok Cae Ras (20:00 BST).

After two eagerly awaited meetings last term, the pair were automatically promoted from League One and will now face off in North Wales this week.

The A-listers at the top of both clubs will ensure that those on the side of the pitch will have just as much of a spotlight as those on the field.

Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds quickly aimed jibes at Wrexham’s local rival Chester, who are currently in the National League North, four divisions below Wrexham, after their club acquisition was confirmed in 2021.

The Hollywood duo wrote “Always beat Chester*” on three occasions. in the statement of their organization.

The statement concluded with the phrase “*If we ever play Chester again” and included the crucial asterisk “… “.

Wrexham enjoyed powerful tussles with numerous sides, including Sheffield United, Stockport County, Notts County, and Stockport County, during their rapid ascendancy in the football pyramid.

Although the Stockport and Sheffield United games arguably involved more needle, or beef, than their football rivals, Notts County’s clashes were nothing short of majestic.

Birmingham appear to be in the middle, and last year’s first of two league games between the two teams attracted a lot of interest.

As the Blues defeated Phil Parkinson’s side 3-1 at St Andrews to claim the title of “the Hollywood derby,” England legends David Beckham and Gary Neville were present in the stands alongside Wrexham co-owner McElhenney and Birmingham co-owner Tom Brady.

Later in the season, the Red Dragons finally appeared to have the upper hand, but they were only able to draw 1-1.

However, both teams’ overall campaigns were very successful.

The ownership groups have a significant impact on raising the profile of both clubs, particularly in an era of high interest in America.

With their version of Built In Birmingham: Brady &amp, the Blues, which was released prior to the current campaign, Birmingham followed Wrexham’s lead in making a behind-the-scenes club documentary.

This is a more and more eye-catching addition thanks to the prominent cast members in these documentaries.

A video featuring Brady and Snoop Dogg, co-owners of Swansea City, and Snoop Dogg and McElhenney in August was well-known online.

The trio discussed their involvement with their respective EFL teams in a group video chat titled “Championship owners.”

In a scene from Brady’s sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Brady regaled McElhenney before the game against St. Andrews last year over the reference to the seven-time Super Bowl champion.

The Philadelphia-native’s surname is emblazoned on the back of the jersey, which Brady then gave to McElhenney, who was also wearing the number 12 during his glittering NFL career, along with the team’s home address.

The entire incident was prominently featured in the most recent season of the highly successful Welcome to Wrexham documentary, further demonstrating the clubs’ marketing prowess.

In his pre-game announcement from 12 months ago, Parkinson urged his players to engage in a “controlled tear-up,” with the 57-year-old using a lot of colorful language in his speech.

The Blues supporters, however, were the ones who made the most of Wrexham’s documentary-making cameras, with one fan saying “you’re not in the National League any more” and another saying “welcome to the real world.”

According to Reach journalist Brian Dick, who regularly covers the Blues, “It seems like both ownership groups have recognized the reciprocal commercial and social media benefits of riffing off each other.”

Birmingham and Wrexham reportedly bonded with the same players this summer, he said, adding that they were rubbing shoulders with each other both on and off the pitch as well.

Wrexham’s savvy media team used the release of the summer fixture as another way to poke fun at Birmingham by putting the meeting schedule forward for this year’s meetings.

It seems like all of this seems to be normal rivalry and banter, doesn’t it?

That is undoubtedly true for the big names connected to the two clubs. Make no mistake: Wrexham and Birmingham both have a ruthless desire to experience greater success.

Wagner claimed that the Blues’ goal is undoubtedly to reach the Premier League next year after earning promotion.

Reynolds and McElhenney claimed one of their goals was to “establish Wrexham AFC as a Premier League club” after taking control of Wrexham, which they later became in the fifth tier National League.

The Stok Cae Ras and St Andrews teams’ remarkable off-field efforts have greatly contributed to the pitch’s efforts.

Wrexham announced a record-setting £26.7 million turnover for the year that ended on June 30, 2024, while Birmingham posted a record-setting £29.6 million revenue for the same period. This was a record for a club that was in the third tier at the time, even though the year was Championship.

Both sides have had a lot of success from it, and there could be even more in the coming season.

Wrexham have improved recently after a somewhat sluggish start, winning notable away victories over Millwall and Norwich City while coming into the Birmingham game having only lost once in eight games across all competitions.

After his side lost to Leicester City, who played in the Premier League last season, at 1-1, Parkinson claimed his team was “definitely evolving as a team.”

The Blues have also shown that they can compete since returning to the second tier, having won 11 of their first eight league games.

However, for Wrexham midfielder Matty James, it will be business as usual when the kick-off occurs on Friday.

The owners are “superstars in their own right in various industries,” James, 34, said, “and I think naturally that brings a lot of media attention that can occasionally kind of detract from what is actually happening.”