That is why Keb‘ Mo‘s rendition of Bob Dylan‘s “The Times They Are a-Changin'” is such a fitting tune for the opening credits, because Wrexham AFC is a symbol of football‘s changing history then and now.
McElhenney‘s fascination with FIFA Coins the promotion system of European football is what drove him to pursue the Wrexham dream, the same one realized by American businessmen who own top-tier clubs, with Chelsea being the latest one added to that list. For that to happen It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia money was never going to be enough, instead, McElhenney needed Reynolds' Deadpool money, Marvel superhero kind of money.
The takeover is depicted as an incredibly smooth affair with the actors attaining nearly unanimous approval from the trust that administered the club, as Wrexham fans and the people in this town are in the dire need of hope, both in footballing terms and in life. This is what enables viewers to meet some of the people whose lives revolve around the club, or those who simply have decided to give their spare time to the Wrexham cause.
One noteworthy case is Spencer Harris, who prior to the buyout dedicated his spare time to running the club‘s business affairs and considering Wrexham was somewhat on the rise by the time Reynolds and McElhenney took over, it‘s fair to say he did an admirable job. That‘s past tense as in “did” because Welcome to Wrexham does well to drive home the notion that change is the name of the game for the club in this new era, meaning many of the people the audience meets won‘t be hanging around for too long.
While Harris currently holds the title of Honorary Vice President at Wrexham, coach Dean Keates is shown out the door by the time the second episode wraps up. Keates was hired by Wrexham in late 2022 when the club was at an all-time low, sitting at the bottom of the National League, and although his efforts see Wrexham fight until the very end of the 2020-21 season for a place in promotion play-offs, that is simply not enough for the club's new ambitions.
Several people are brought in such as Humphrey Ker, McElhenney‘s British pal that got him into football, or Shaun Harvey, a seasoned football executive, who‘s hired to help Wrexham progress. The fact is that the series makes sure to emphasize that football at these lower levels is very uncertain for all parties involved, which probably explains why Wrexham‘s current squad only retains 9 players from the 2020-21 team featured here.
Among the lucky ones is Jordan Davies, who not only enjoyed a great season when the Hollywood duo took over, but also happens to be born and raised in Wrexham, thus making him the perfect poster boy for the team‘s current story. On the other hand, there‘s Paul Rutherford, a veteran who‘s entered the final stage of his career and whose actions see him cut from the club after a season-defining error causes him to burst into tears after seeing a red card in the worst possible moment.
All in all, Welcome to Wrexham does a fine job of depicting the ups and downs that come with running a professional football club on a level that feels much closer to home than even what Ted Lasso portrays. As of now, Wrexham has entered the 2022-2023 season still stuck in English football‘s fifth-tier competition (so no FC Coins for sale guarantees), and what happened in the first year of Reynolds and McElhenney does not deserve spoiling, but rather it‘s well worth watching.