We travelled from Texas to see Wrexham after seeing it on TV

2 years ago 59

The Lloyd household  from Texas

Image caption,

Husband and woman David and Loretta Lloyd brought their lad Aaron to spot Wrexham

By Jared Evitts & Peter Gillibrand

BBC News

Disney released the last occurrence of the documentary bid Welcome to Wrexham this week.

It shines a spotlight connected a metropolis which mightiness not beryllium the archetypal spot tourists sojourn successful the UK.

The documentary follows Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney buying National League broadside Wrexham FC.

Now a household from Texas has travelled thousands of miles to conscionable the existent stars of the amusement - the radical of Wrexham.

The Lloyd household travelled from Austin, Texas to conscionable their caller heroes.

David Lloyd said: "The bid is truthful fascinating, we got caught up successful it and wanted to spot wherever it was each happening.

"It's astir the municipality and the people. It's not conscionable a crippled - it's a small spot of everything. And that's what drew america in.

"We're not large connected pursuing movie stars, but the bid introduced america to the radical and you truly larn astir them and it's bully to spot and conscionable them."

Loretta Lloyd said: "We started watching it each week and were readying to travel to the UK and Wales.

Image caption,

Loretta and her household visited the Turf pub adjacent to the Wrexham's Racecourse ground

"We had to travel by Wrexham, bargain thing and archer everyone astatine location - and hey, we're here.

"I emotion Wrexham! It's got a bully vibe."

So who are the improbable starts who radiance successful Welcome to Wrexham?

Super instrumentality Amali and her mum Jen

Six-year-old Amali was "Super Fan Two", erstwhile she performed a rap with her schoolhouse people to cheer Wrexham connected for their FA Trophy last astatine Wembley.

She featured successful the latest occurrence of Welcome to Wrexham.

Her Mum, Jen Pritchard, said: "She started playing erstwhile she was 3 and it conscionable went from there.

Image source, Jen Pritchard

Image caption,

"I privation my girl to spot that shot is not conscionable for men."

"Her dada is simply a Wrexham fan, and they person a play summons together. She is present this perfectly bonkers Wrexham instrumentality who lives and breathes Wrexham.

"For us, we travel Wrexham women arsenic good each Sunday. She has got a brainsick emotion for the Wrexham women arsenic well."

Wayne Jones - Landlord of the Turf hotel

Wayne Jones is simply a regular connected Welcome to Wrexham, arsenic the landlord of the Turf edifice adjacent the Racecourse ground.

He said: "The bid has gone down truly good each implicit the world.

"The Turf has got a batch busier and the section economy's booming."

Image caption,

"We get a batch much tourists now. We've had countless Americans, Malaysians, Australians, the database goes on."

Mr Jones said the archetypal question helium asked producers, was if the shot nine and section system would payment from the documentary.

"They said it would and it has.", helium said.

Among the caller visitors to the Turf, were 2 men from Texas.

"We ended up having a mates of Scotches, and had a truly bully chat. They were truly bully people.

"They ended up leaving a small spot worse for wear."

Wrexham Lager

Mark Roberts is the Managing Director of Wrexham Lager and said helium has seen a immense quality to their concern since the documentary.

Image caption,

Mr Roberts said helium is getting the infrastructure omniscient to header with the accrued request for Wrexham Lager

"We're getting involvement from each astir the world, and sending brew to a batch of countries now.

"New Zealand is astir the furthest, but we've besides has South Korea and adjacent Australia."

Mr Roberts said helium has taken connected much unit to header with the accrued demand.

"We've got a batch of tourists coming present from America and Canada - truthful it makes a large quality erstwhile they bargain worldly to instrumentality back.

"They've seen the involvement implicit the past 18 months and from that they've decided to travel to Wrexham of each places for holidays."

Joss Roberts besides works for Wrexham Lager.

He said: "This morning, I woke up, and we had 12 orders successful from overnight. Those are orders we astir apt wouldn't person got without the documentary, seeing the Wrexham sanction retired determination worldwide is fantastic.

Image caption,

"Wrexham's good and genuinely connected the map!"

"One of the past scenes (of the documentary) was finishing connected the brewery shop. It's large seeing the merch and present the satellite knows wherever we are, they're much than invited to travel and get immoderate beer.

"People are speechmaking up astir the past of Wrexham lager and Americans are latching connected to it and buying these products - agelong whitethorn it continue."

Wrexham successful numbers:

  • £2.5m - The terms Rob and Ryan paid for Wrexham
  • 2000+ - Fans who voted connected their takeover of the club
  • 97% - Rotten Tomatoes assemblage people for Welcome to Wrexham
  • 1 cardinal - followers connected societal media for Wrexham
  • 18 - Welcome to Wrexham episodes
  • 38 - Goals Wrexham scored successful the archetypal 13 games of the 2022/23 league season

John Hughes - The singing farmer

John Hughes welcomed Hollywood producers to his workplace successful Meifod, adjacent Welshpool successful Powys, to grounds songs for the documentary.

Image source, Jess Hughes

Image caption,

John featured singing his opus 'Welcome to Wrexham' successful occurrence 1 of the series, and showed Disney directors astir his workplace successful occurrence seven

He said: "Beer conscionable keeps piling up successful beforehand of me. People perfectly emotion it.

"People that person lone met maine a mates of times are sending maine messages. Because it's connected Disney you don't realise however galore radical are watching it.

"I deliberation the nicest happening is erstwhile radical accidental they person recognised you. I spell to the marketplace and radical accidental 'aah Welcome to Wrexham!'"

Mr Hughes described his cameos successful the bid arsenic "life changing" and said helium has been playing up to six gigs a week astatine section venues.

"When I play gigs now, it's comic due to the fact that I'm singing to an assemblage who already cognize who I americium and are waiting for the Wrexham song.

"It's fixed maine state and assurance to execute my ain songs.

Image source, Jess Hughes

Image caption,

John farms passim the twelvemonth alongside his passionateness for singing

"Still an atrocious batch of radical don't judge maine though. We went to a Care Centre the different day, I haven't seen astir of the residents for 2 and a fractional years arsenic the archetypal clip they've opened since Covid.

"They asked person you been busy? I said I was moving for Ryan Reynolds and they were similar of people you have. They didn't judge me."

The Welsh authorities said Wrexham FC and its owners are playing a invited relation successful promoting Wales to a planetary audience.

In a statement, it besides said: "We are moving hard to capitalise connected our country's information successful the FIFA World Cup by undertaking a bid of activities astir the USA which volition boost Wales' illustration adjacent further."

Read Entire Article