Stars assemble to see the new “Hollywood” match between Birmingham and Wrexham

Elbahrain.net Many might have overlooked a match between Birmingham and Wrexham a few years ago. The game is now a Hollywood production.

Some of the biggest names in sports, movies, and television were present for the League One soccer match on Monday, which drew about 30,000 people to St. Andrew’s Stadium.

This is due to the fact that both teams have recently had significant investments from well-known American owners. Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have turned around the fortunes of Wrexham since taking over the team in 2021, while NFL star Tom Brady currently holds a minority position in the Blues.

Such a prime-time schedule for a third-division match is unusual, but supporters of Birmingham and Wrexham have grown accustomed to the remarkable in recent times.

Before the game began, Birmingham chairman Tom Wagner told Sky Sports, “This is exactly what we hoped it would be when we acquired the club, that we could bring this type of enthusiasm and excitement to our matches and truly create an environment where people want to be a part of it.”

“Where people at home can experience that enthusiasm and enjoy it.” That two League One teams can generate this much excitement on a Monday night says volumes about how appealing English football is.

The actual match lived up to the expectations, as Birmingham pulled off a thrilling comeback after falling behind early on. Additionally, Krystian Bielik, the host, received a red card, which heightened the tension.

For Wrexham, who had gone undefeated in the league this season prior to Monday, the outcome was somewhat of an unpleasant awakening.

Although the Welsh team is still leading League One, they will likely face challenges from Birmingham, a team that was only demoted to the third level the previous year and has greater financial resources because of its size.

Having played one fewer game than Wrexham, the Blues are now only one goal behind them in the standings.

The two teams may be vying for promotion when they next play on January 25 if the beginning of the season is any indication.

US appeal
There had been some talk that this fixture could be played in the US this year because to the increased interest from Americans, but the league swiftly shot that idea down.

The CEO of Birmingham City, Garry Cook, had stated to BBC Sport that while he felt it would be a “wonderful idea” to move the match to the US at some point, he acknowledged that it was highly unlikely given the history and traditions of English soccer.

NFL great JJ Watt stated on Monday that he did not want the recent wave of US owners to make significant changes to the game. Watt also invested in Burnley, an English soccer team, last year.