Rob McElhenney, the co-owner of Wrexham A.F.C., recently appeared on a podcast to discuss all things ‘soccer’. The actor and Matthew Belloni, host of the well-known podcast The Town with Matthew Belloni, had a 30-minute conversation.
McElhenney stated he wanted the Welsh club to become “America’s team” during their discussion of many topics.
“One of my intensions is to make Wrexham ‘America’s team.’ I don’t know why we couldn’t do that,” stated the actor and co-owner of the club. “I know that there’s a massive support for a lot of Premier League clubs here in the U.S., but a lot of people have second teams anyway. Why not make Wrexham America’s team?”
This might be conceivable, according to McElhenney, because of a link to the actual city. He continued, “I think a lot of Americans can relate to the folks of Wrexham. It’s a working-class community that has endured worse times. And they cherish what they cherish.
The two also examined the reasons why the sport wasn’t more well-liked in the United States. Both parties concurred that Americans are conditioned to enjoy the tension reduction provided by sporting events. American sports are interrupted by commercials. The subject of how to increase its popularity on American television was addressed by the actor.
“Well number one: We just need to be better,” proclaimed McElhenney. “I mean, imagine Tyreek Hill playing wingback. Imagine Lebron James in goal. There’s nobody that would be able to stop the U.S. if we put our best athletes into those programs. And maybe that’ll happen more and more.”
“I mean I wonder what’s going to happen to the next few generations of American football as more and more data is coming out about concussions and head injuries,” the actor continued. And how many parents are going to be less willing to put their children into that particular sport.”
In February 2021, McElhenney and fellow actor Ryan Reynolds finished buying Wrexham. The team placed second in the standings in their inaugural campaign, but ultimately fell to Grimsby Town in the playoff semifinal. The Welsh team is currently tied for second place in the league standings.
