WREXHAM were still in the National League when Chelsea lifted the 2022 Club World Cup as Champions League winners.
were actually seventh in the fifth tier of English football, still outside the playoff places at the time.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney will have the biggest game yet for Welcome to WrexhamCredit: Rex
They host Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round on SaturdayCredit: Getty
On Saturday they host in a competitive match and do it bankrolled by celebrities that have brought belief to the club.
Belief of promotion into the Premier League, and belief of causing an upset here.
The fifth round tie will be the third meeting between the teams in four years for and – but this one really counts.
, drawing on the huge fandom built by two A-listers.
But now they need to play hosts on their own patch at the Racecourse Ground.
After beating Prem opponents in the third round on penalties and then fellow side Ipswich last month, Wrexham have been rewarded.
and did so alongside , something which sums up where the Welsh club now are.
It will undoubtedly be a big focus for the with international audiences.
And they started planning for how to make the most of their next tie commercially at that exact point.
Speaking to The Athletic , supervising producer Sandy Johnston said: “I was with the team in at their hotel when the draw was made.
The Racecourse Ground has had some big clashes since the Hollywood A-listers tookoverCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
And Wrexham are looking to pull off a massive shockCredit: Getty
“There were a few teams left when they came out at home. There was a cheer for that, as everyone wanted a home tie.
“And then Chelsea came out. The team was excited.
“I had a chat with Shaun [Harvey, director] as well, and he said it was exactly what they wanted.”
But how do the club prepare for such a big game?
Johnston explains: “We have a group for everyone on our core team and another with the core team in the US.
“I’d told them we were going down to film the draw, which was actually Shaun’s idea.
“He’d called me on the Sunday to suggest we bring a camera down. Shaun is brilliant like that.”
The team for the game, away from the playing field, will include three people in the home dressing room.
The two actors have transformed WrexhamCredit: Getty
Now they are gunning for yet another memorable winCredit: Getty
One camera will be stationed there for behind-the-scenes footage with another following players.
The trio then become dugout watchers, filming right next to manager Parkinson.
Three more cameras – one long lens and two roaming operators – will be deployed.
Fan-cams for the supporters are available and, of course, McElhenny and Reynolds are tracked.
Executive producers stay alongside the celeb backers on what is sure to be an enormous day.
Manchester United fan Johnston adds: “You want these big ties as a team.
“It’s what we are all in this for. I’ve worked on Premier League content, World Cups and European Championships, and there’s nothing like live sport.
“That’s why, as important as the planning is – and that includes storylines – you can’t produce too much.
“It’s basically whatever unfolds on the day. The storyline sells itself.”
Cameras will be in the dressing room and close to the American ownersCredit: Alamy
Wrexham are also pushing for promotion back up to the Premier League with former Bournemouth and Ipswich striker Kieffer Moore up frontCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Parkinson, 58, is about as qualified as anyone to try and cause an upset.
on the way to reaching the final at .
They were battered by Swansea in the end but shocked everyone as a side.
The cup run fuelled a playoff push which resulted in promotion.
Wrexham are on similar trajectory right now.
They have lost just two of their last 15 games in all competitions, winning 11.
Their form extends to only four losses in 25 and recent victories have seen them rise to sixth.
As well as being a season promotion contender, Parkinson also knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup in 2015 at Bradford.
– and eventual champions – at only to come back and win 4-2.
It is one of the big shocks in cup history and while Wrexham would not quite be on the same level, something out of a movie script is certainly possible.
Manager Phil Parkinson took Bradford on a League Cup run to the final in 2013Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
And then beat Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea 4-2 from two goals down at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup two years laterCredit: Action Images – Reuters
With experience at Wrexham throughout their journey up the , Johnston – who joined when the club were back in League Two – says: “Phil has been brilliant with us from the start.
“With the players, it helps that we’re in and around the stadium through the week.
“And in the hotels before away matches – just to be seen and get familiar with each other. They know we’re not out for an angle.
“If there’s something they don’t want us to film, we don’t.
“Finding that balance is important. The last thing we want to do is upset the players or staff.”
And once all the work is done to capture footage, more than 20 editors in America sift through it to make eight 45-minute-ish episodes ready to produce.
Johnston reveals: “There’s so much material sent by Marcin Orlowski for them to go through,.
“Just one game can generate hours and hours of footage. You then see the cuts back, whether it’s an early cut or a rough cut.
“When you get those back, it’s quite a thrill. We’re only starting to see them now for episodes one and two.
“You’ve worked six or seven months on some of it. So, there’s a sense now that things are starting to come together.
“You do get the hairs on your back standing up, seeing the stories and how things have been put together.
“That’s why we do it. You want to move the audience.”
Chelsea are aiming to dampen the spirits of the TV crew and Wrexham as a whole.
If they don’t, it will become prime-time viewing.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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