Hugh Jackman was also at the Wrexham game with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney
By Nicholas Bourne & Matthew Richards
BBC News
Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman joined Wrexham fans to watch the club’s return to the Football League after 15 years.
The Wolverine star joined celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham AFC’s first game in football’s fourth tier since 2008.
The return has been a dream come true for long-suffering fans.
However, celebrations were short-lived as the club was on the receiving end of a 5-3 defeat to MK Dons.
Speaking before the match, Sandy Domingos-Shipley, from Toronto in Canada, said: “I’m continuing the party I had at the last game in Wrexham and ended at 4am.”
She added: “We’re here for the first game of the season and I wanted to party with some of the locals again – we’ve been here a few times last season so hopefully it will be a good win today and we can do some more partying later.”
Image source, Matthew Ashton | Getty Images
Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds posed for pictures with fans before kick-off
Sandy said she had lived in the UK for a few years and liked to “get some Canadians together and use Wrexham as a meeting place”.
She said the group started with about 60 people and now has 180, with members from “around the world”.
“The community have been very welcoming,” she said.
Wrexham won the National League title last season with 111 points, while Saturday’s opponents, MK Dons, were relegated from League One.
Image source, Matthew Ashton | Getty Images
Rob McElhenney chatted with fans before kick-off
Fans gathered outside the gates at Wrexham’s ground early to try to get a glimpse of any celebrity rivals – and they weren’t disappointed with Jackman pausing to wave to them.
In February, Jackman told the BBC that many of Wrexham’s rival teams offered him co-ownership when Ryan Reynolds bought the Welsh club.
The two celebrities have had a comedic feud for several years.
Sandy Domingos-Shipley (second left) is one of Wrexham’s many international fans
Mandy and Harry Robinson, from Wrexham, have been coming to the stadium for in excess of 20 years.
Mandy said she had seen “really bad times” to the point where die-hard fans had to hold bucket collections in town to save the club.
“It was a bit upsetting but hey, we’re here now.”
Long-time Wrexham fans the Collins family said they hoped to get a glimpse of the club’s celebrity owners at Saturday’s game
The Collins family are season ticket holders and have been revelling in Wrexham’s success since the take over by Reynolds and McElhenney.
“I think they’ve done an astonishing thing in terms of unlocking the potential of the club and the town and it all started with their investment,” said Dan Collins.
Community groups have also been given plenty to shout about too as many have been given free tickets to matches to make the club as accessible as possible.
Sam Jones from Dynamic Wrexham, a charity that works with young people with disabilities, said: “It’s absolutely fantastic. I think it’s 56 different community groups that they’ve reached with the ticket scheme, so that’s about 5,000 tickets in total.”
Image source, Getty Images
Celebrations were short-lived for Wrexham as the team suffered a 5-3 defeat in their league opener
The “Wrex-factor” has encouraged fans to look back at the city’s footballing history.
The Football Museum for Wales has launched a guided heritage tour to highlight the places in Wrexham where significant sporting moments occurred, including the founding of the FAW in 1876.
It also looks at the impact women and diverse communities have had on the sport.
Football coach Anne-Marie Withers, who has taken part in the tour, said: “I found it all really interesting and it gave me a massive insight into the history of football in Wrexham.”
Delwyn Derrick, one of the tour guides, said re-joining the Football League was another huge moment for Wrexham fans.
“I think that’s a huge point of pride for everyone who supports the club or just generally from the town to see Wrexham back in the Football League where we have always believed they belong.”
