Wrexham fan Jim Gregson travelled 250 miles to watch Wroxham FC in freezing conditions after the club launched its own ‘Welcome to Wroxham’ documentary
A die-hard Wrexham fan embarked on a 250-mile trek to watch his club’s near-namesake, Wroxham FC, play in freezing conditions. This came after the Norfolk-based team humorously launched its own documentary, ‘Welcome to Wroxham’, and joked about being “one letter away” from a Hollywood takeover by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Jim Gregson, 55, was so inspired by Wroxham’s viral story that he used a business trip as an excuse to watch them play against Felixstowe and Walton United. Donning his Wrexham shirt, Gregson was gifted a free scarf from his newly adopted second team.
He said: “I was so moved by their story of potentially missing out on Hollywood funding by just one letter I thought they could do with a bit of support from Wrexham.”
During his visit last Tuesday night (November 19th), Gregson bought rounds for surprised locals at the Wroxham clubhouse bar. After the game, he shared on Facebook: “Only here for Wroxham FC – The Yachtsmen! The ultras didn’t stop singing, the club chairman was brilliant, and the locals made me feel right at home. What a night!”
The two clubs’ fortunes are worlds apart, with Wrexham flying high in second place in League One and Wroxham struggling in the relegation zone five divisions below. Despite the huge gap in league positions, Jim described his experience as “a very one-off night” and admitted he’d love to return, reports Wales Online.
In a direct appeal to one of Wrexham’s famous owners, he said: “Ryan Reynolds, if you’re reading this, the Yachtsmen are waiting – and they’ve got scarves ready for you. Up the Wroxhams and Wrexhams! ” Meanwhile, Wroxham officials were making the most of their moment in the spotlight. Club chairman James Blowers revealed that the similarity between the two teams’ names had led to numerous mix-ups over the years.
He said: “We’ve had hundreds of people confuse us with Wrexham ever since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over. Watching their rise has been incredible, but there’s always this feeling of: ‘If only we had that one letter.’ We think Ryan and Rob would love this heartwarming story.”
The trailer for Wroxham’s documentary has racked up over 330,000 views on social media after ads were “accidentally” placed outside locations made famous by Welcome to Wrexham, including The Turf pub. Fans are now calling for a friendly match – dubbed the “vowel derby” – to be arranged between the two clubs.
The documentary was funded through sponsorship from Riot Labs, a company that sells vape liquids. Ben Johnson, the company’s CEO, was thrilled to be involved with the club, stating: “To be able to support the club and give them the platform and investment to share their unique story is an honour and the reaction has been brilliant. We hope it helps them attract future sponsors and maybe even Hollywood owners of their own.”
