Reynolds and McElhenney be a part of Wrexham promotion celebration on open-top bus parade
yan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney joined the celebration as hundreds of followers lined the streets to have fun Wrexham‘s return to the Football League with a trophy parade on Tuesday night.
Phil Parkinson’s facet, who wanted a league file haul of 111 factors to beat Notts County in a gripping National League title race, confirmed off their trophy, together with the ladies’s staff, who’ve earned promotion to the Genero Adran Premier.
Three open-top buses slowly navigated their manner across the metropolis on a loop that began and completed outdoors the Racecourse Ground, chopping by means of a fog of purple smoke from the ever-present flares.
Hollywood stars Reynolds and McElhenney, whose takeover and £10million funding within the Red Dragons has helped rework the membership’s fortunes, joined the ladies’s staff on the second of three buses, with Parkinson alongside his workers on the third.
The males’s staff soaked up the adulation from the highest of the primary. Fans chanted ‘One extra yr’ at former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster, who got here out of retirement to signal a one-year deal in September, and a number of other of his team-mates joined in.
Such is the worldwide nature of this north Wales membership as of late that there have been Canadian maple leafs and the American stars and stripes among the many a whole bunch of Welsh dragons alongside the route, whereas Skid the Dachshund sported a custom-made hat.
An American couple joined the a whole bunch of followers who arrange camp within the automobile park of The Turf pub alongside the Racecourse Ground, having taken trip from a vacation in Ireland to expertise the celebration laid on by a membership they found throughout lockdown.
“With Covid happening all around the world we heard this story and we watched them on the streaming services,” mentioned Robin Beattie. “We fell in love with it.
“We occurred to be on trip in Dublin and mentioned, ‘Let’s hop on over’. We’re very completely happy to see the thrill within the city. It’s a Cinderella story. We adore it.”
But, while there was inevitably an international presence on the day, this was a party primarily enjoyed by the locals, those fans that Parkinson had talked about when he said earning promotion was about ending 15 years of hurt in the town.
Supporters could have been forgiven for wondering what would become of their club when two Hollywood stars decided to buy it in 2021.
But Reynolds and McElhenney have won them over by embracing its traditions and ensuring its identity has not fundamentally changed, even with the influx of new fans from around the world.
“This is world class, improbable,” said Wrexham native Darren Jackson. “They’ve finished it the appropriate manner. It’s nonetheless the identical membership, however all that is good.”
Gareth Bale might have turned down what was a tongue-in-cheek try and lure him off the golf course, however Reynolds and McElhenney are critical about their plans to maintain pushing this membership larger and better.
Promotion to League One is the goal now. If they attain their aim, there might be one other parade in Wrexham this time subsequent yr.