Almost 300 kilometers away from bustling London and 219 kilometers away even from the capital of Wales, Cardiff, the town of Wrexham has been considered for decades another outsider of the British countryside.

Houses neglected and people somewhat depressed, they fit perfectly with the hazy weather that mainly prevails in the north of the country. But something draws you in, in this small town of 135,000 inhabitants. Some of its buildings have been preserved since the 16th century, while the oldest signs of the city’s glory and prosperity are evident in some of its corners.

But the story of its decline is much the same as that of all British coal-mining towns. Great boom and great job market for miners until the 70’s and 80’s when most of the country’s coal mines closed for good.

A dark past

From 1990 onwards the downward trend seemed to be a one-way street for Wrexham as well. Businesses were closing and people were trying to find their fortunes in other bigger cities. Could this change because of a football team?

The answer is clear: YES! This is the town’s football team, Wrexham AFC. Its history is long, as it is the oldest football team in Wales and the third in the world, founded in 1864.

The highest level the team has played is the second division of professional football. Unfortunately, from the 2000s onwards, the team’s most serious financial problems began to show in their performances. He gradually began to drop categories, ending up in 2008 in the fifth and now in semi-professional football.

Hollywood – Wrexham tick X

The change began to happen – paradoxically – in the dark time of the coronavirus. In November 2020 an unexpected Hollywood wind decided to conquer Wrexham for good. Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds and American actor Rob McElheny decided to buy the football team together, doing everything they could to upgrade it and clearly profiting from the very expensive initial venture.

The reactions and reservations about the “Canadian-American” property from the friends of Wrexham, many. However, the two actors soon won them over. Knowing how to put on a proper show and productions touched Wrexham on a deeper level than the team.

A documentary, with two seasons now, exists on the Disney platform and shows the inseparable connection of team and people in the everyday life of the Welsh city. In the 2022-2023 season, the most important step was taken. After 15 years “stuck” in the 5th division of semi-professional football, the team’s rise to the 4th division of professional football came as “by a god machine”.

Boom in the real estate market

Trust was restored. The Hollywood star’s promises to change not only the team but also the dynamics of the city have been set in motion. Evidence of the latest figures from the largest property website Rightmove. According to her, Wrexham now tops the list of the 10 most active rental markets. In particular, the average number of applications per available property for 2023 reached 56 from 8 just four years ago in 2019. This means that demand has increased sevenfold, with London Borough of Redbridge following on the list with 49 applications compared to 11 in 2019.

According to experts, this rise is due to Reynolds and McElheny, as many workers of large factories such as Kellogg’s now find other interests in the area.

At the same time, property owners have noticed increased demand even from foreign students who want to come to the local university. However, increased traffic is also noticed by tourists. American travelers are some of them, who because of the documentary begin to be attracted to the history of European football. Characteristically, according to data from the STEAM house, in 2022 there was a 51% increase in tourism revenue compared to the previous year. At the same time, 1.9 million tourists visited the city even for one day and 430,000 for a longer period.

Did the British government bow to the pressure?

Important to mention that the Welsh town of Wrexham was also included in Jeremy Hunt’s recent Autumn Budget. According to him and as part of the “Levelling Up” plan in cities outside London, Wrexham City Council will get direct funding from the British government of 20 million pounds over 10 years.

This decision seems like a small retreat on the part of the British government. A few months earlier and despite pressure from the team’s management, the government had rejected requests for funding to rebuild the Racecourse stadium.

Wrexham Football Club management adviser Sean Harvey has advised the co-owners to consider another funding solution. Derisively and amused by the situation, Reynolds stated: “I’m going to sell one of my kids, I’ve got four.” Either way, the city’s trajectory seems to be determined by the team’s trajectory. At the moment, however, it seems unstoppable.