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      Alex Scott breaks silence over decision to wear One Love armband at Qatar World Cup

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      FOOTBALL Focus host Alex Scott has broken her silence over her decision to wear the One Love armband at the World Cup in Qatar.Alex, who dates both men and women, wore it to show support for the LGBT community in the country – where same sex relationships are illegal.
      Alex Scott wore the One Love armband despite players being banned from wearing them at the Qatar World CupCredit: Pixel8000
      She wore the band as she covered England’s first game in Qatar, after the Three Lions were banned from doing so.
      Former Arsenal Women’s player Alex, 38, said: “We all woke up to the news of the armband being banned.
      “I remember being so sad.
      “I was standing with the kit man, Andy, looking out, just full of emotion.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      “I said: ‘Andy, no one’s told me I can’t wear an armband’.
      He said: ‘Alex, you f***ing genius.’
      “No one knew anything.
      “I remember saying to Kelly who was going to interview me: ‘Kelly don’t say a word. All I’m doing is going to put this armband on and it’s going to speak for itself.’
      Most read in Football
      “And that’s exactly what I did. This little thing and what it represents.”
      Alex said her decision saw her being trolled and sent vile messages by strangers online.
      Speaking at the 2023 Attitude 101 lunch at London’s Rosewood Hotel, Alex said: “After that I disappeared. I was in Qatar with all the abuse and I was like, I need to get away because I can’t believe something out of love could create so much hate and such a divide.
      “It was Martin Luther King who said; Injustice anywhere is a threat to just everywhere. And by stopping wearing this arm band is exactly what was happening in Qatar.
      “So I disappeared. I went to Barbados for a little while. And then I came back to the UK and to say I appreciate and love so much people coming up to me and saying what wearing this armband meant to everyone.” More

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      Ex-Prem star Peter Ndlovu ‘cannot afford maintenance demand for two kids’ – as he’s shelling out for 11 more

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      FORMER Premier League star Peter Ndlovu has told a court he cannot afford a maintenance demand for two kids — because he is already shelling out for 11 more.The Zimbabwe striker, who spent six top-flight seasons with Coventry City, said: “I have 13 children, including these.”
      Peter Ndlovu said ‘I have 13 children, including these’Credit: PA:Empics Sport
      He said he had no contact with them, adding: “I was not informed by the respondent about the pregnancies or the subsequent births.”
      Ndlovu, 49 — who also played for Birmingham, Huddersfield and Sheffield United — is manager of South African club Mamelodi Sundowns.
      The mum wanted £1,420 a month.
      But Johannesburg High Court ruled he should pay her £568 a month.
      READ MORE ON Peter Ndlovu
      The ex-player insisted he had no contact with the two children in question, and no relationship with their mother since their conception.
      He told the court: “As a result of these encounters, two minor children were born between the respondent and me.
      “I was not informed by the respondent about the pregnancies or the subsequent births of our children.
      “The last I heard of the children was when she instituted maintenance proceedings against me in 2016.
      Most read in Football
      “There is no communication between the respondent and me. We share no relationship and there is no contact between us.” More

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      If Man City are guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules they should be kicked out – but don’t hold your breath

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      YOU’D think that to be accused of cheating would be the worst that could happen in sport.And that you would be kicked out and treated as a pariah.
      The Premier League has charged Manchester City with 115 counts of breaking the league’s financial rulesCredit: Reuters
      Man City manager Pep GuardiolaCredit: PA
      Well, let’s see what happens to Manchester City.
      After a long and painstaking investigation, the Premier League has charged City with 115 counts of breaking the league’s financial rules.
      In short, the Premier League is accusing Manchester City of false accounting.
      Of overvaluing the amounts of money they got in from sponsorship deals and other legitimate sources of revenue.
      read more on man city
      And undervaluing their costs.
      In other words lying, over a long period of time, about how much money they had and how much they were spending.
      This is called cheating.
      All the teams in the Premier League — and in the lower divisions — must abide by Financial Fair Play rules.
      Most read in Football
      This governs what percentage of their income can be spent on wages and transfers and so on.
      It ensures the books are balanced.
      And its purpose is to stop clubs going out of business by spending beyond their means.
      In short, if you haven’t got a pot to p**s in, you can’t buy Kylian Mbappe.
      It’s pretty straightforward.
      But it’s not straightforward the way Manchester City have been doing it, allegedly.
      And if they’ve not been honest about their income and expenditure, it means they have been given a huge advantage over clubs that have abided by the rules.
      There is a suggestion Manchester City could be kicked out of the league.
      Well, that would be a start, if they’re guilty. But don’t hold your breath.
      CLEAR OFF
      Because no matter how seriously the authorities say they take Financial Fair Play, the truth is that the big clubs always seem to get away with it.
      Already, Manchester City’s bosses are marshalling a whole army of expensive lawyers.
      They say they will fight the Premier League every step of the way.
      These legal battles could go on for years and years.
      They will probably still be in court when Alf-Inge Haaland is collecting his free bus pass.
      In the meantime, City will carry on just the way they’ve always carried on.
      This, surely, is wrong. If City disagree with the Premier League’s rules, they are perfectly at liberty to clear off out of the league.
      But while in it, they must abide.
      That means, at the least, a complete embargo on transfers until this business is sorted out.
      That should concentrate the minds a little at the Etihad Stadium.
      I don’t say any of this because I hate Manchester City.
      I mean, obviously I do hate Manchester City, but no more than I hate, say, Arsenal or Leeds United.
      I’m a Millwall fan. We hate everyone.
      No, I say it because for too long now, under the league’s rules, teams that do the right thing are penalised, and somehow the big guns always wriggle out of accusations of rule-breaking.
      Which makes a mockery of the whole thing.
      The Premier League should act tough with City.
      No spending at all until the charges are heard in court, which they will be.
      And if the verdict is guilty as charged? Out of the league.
      Well done, Your Worship
      ATTENDANCES at Church of England services continue to plummet.
      More and more people who would call themselves Christian find the Church of England an utter irrelevance.
      But at last the bishops are doing something about it.
      Yes, they are reviewing the Bible for its gender-biased language.
      Well done, Your Worship.
      That’ll bring them flooding back.

      AID BY ENEMY
      THE footage of those earthquakes on the Syria/Turkey border is heart-breaking.
      As if that area hasn’t been through enough turmoil and misery . . . 
      Israel has so far dispatched 380 men from the Israel Defense Forces to help after the Turkey/Syria earthquakeCredit: Reuters
      The first country to respond to the disaster, by sending hundreds of expert helpers?
      Israel, which has so far dispatched 380 men from the Israel Defense Forces.
      Never mind that the Turkish government hates Israel, and Syria is still at war with it.
      DID POLLY HIT A NERVE BY WADING INTO WATERS?
      POLLY SAMSON, the wife of Pink Floyd star David Gilmour, has tweeted her observations on the band’s former member Roger Waters.
      She said: “You are anti-Semitic to your rotten core.
      Dave Gilmour’s wife Polly Samson has tweeted her observations on the band’s former member Roger WatersCredit: Getty
      Polly said of Roger: ‘You are anti-Semitic to your rotten core’Credit: Getty
      “Also a Putin apologist and a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching,misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac.
      “Enough of your nonsense.”
      Mr Waters, of course, begs to differ and denies all charges.
      Maybe Polly hit a nerve. Incidentally, with the possible exceptions of U2 and Coldplay, has there ever been a more overrated band in the history of rock music than Pink Floyd?
      WELSH SHOW SENSE
      HUGE respect to the Welsh rugby fans.
      Their team may be utterly useless, but the supporters did their country proud.
      The Welsh Rugby Union has banned the song Delilah but Tom Jones is going to sing itCredit: WNS
      The Welsh Rugby Union people banned the song Delilah.
      Because it is about a bloke who kills his lover. Can’t have songs about that.
      But the Welsh fans belted it out in a magnificent show of defiance.
      And now Tom Jones is going to sing Delilah for the first time in 20 years at a show in Wales.
      That’s the way to treat these stupid, po-faced author-ities. Iechyd da!
      Rishi’s reshuffle
      THEY have been moving the deck-chairs around on the Titanic again.
      This is Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet reshuffle.
      OK, I like the idea of Michelle Donelan heading a beefed-up Science and Technology department.
      It’s good to see the excellent Kemi Bad-enoch promoted.
      But for as long as Jeremy Hunt is the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Tories are going to lose the next election.
      Heavily.

      SAM IS RECIPE FOR JOY
      APPARENTLY, 42 per cent of us can’t remember the last time we laughed.
      What a depressing statistic. I have no such problem.
      Sam Smith’s latest music video made Rod laughCredit: YOUTUBE
      I laughed like a drain when I saw Sam Smith’s last video.
      I also laughed when I saw a gobby, annoying child in a restaurant fall over flat on his face.
      And I laugh every time Nicola Sturgeon opens her mouth.
      It may be a dry, bitter, mirthless cackle – but it’s still a laugh, isn’t it?
      We all need to rediscover the joy of revelling in other people’s misfortunes.
      Put the smile back on to the face of Great Britain.
      ACTION IF IZZY WINS
      HEROINE of the week is South London mum Izzy Montague.
      She is suing the school attended by her young son because she claims they forced him to go on a LGBT march.
      The kid was FOUR YEARS OLD.
      The headteacher of Heavers Farm Primary also banned Izzy from visiting the school, saying that the staff did not feel safe when she was there.
      Scores of parents objected to their kids being taken on the march, incidentally.
      Read More on The Sun
      That’s because they think children not much older than toddlers were being force-fed propaganda.
      If Izzy wins her battle, the head of the school should be sacked.  More

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      Tottenham’s Harry Kane’s secret career away from football earns him £13m

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      SHAME Harry Kane doesn’t have many trophies to his name, as the Spurs striker has plenty of room to store them.The England captain has been quietly racking up an impressive property portfolio while he’s been adding to his goal records.
      Accounts for Harry Kane’s company show his empire is worth £13.1millionCredit: Alamy
      Harry, who earns £200,000 a week, lives in a £1million-per-year rented mansion with wife Katie and their kids Ivy, Vivienne and LouisCredit: Instagram @harrykane
      I can that reveal new accounts for his company show his empire is worth £13.1million — about the same value as his big toe.
      A source says: “Harry is as astute with his money as he is with his finishing.
      “Lots of footballers make investments in property, with mixed results, but Harry clearly knows what he’s doing.”
      Harry’s company Edward James Investments has his parents and brother Charlie, also his agent, on the books.
      READ MORE ON HARRY KANE
      Despite owning a vast number of properties, The Sun revealed last year that Harry, who earns £200,000 a week, lives in a £1million-per-year rented mansion with wife Katie and their kids Ivy, Vivienne and Louis.
      The seven-bed property has its own spa, cinema room, staff quarters and lift system. As well as houses, Harry also collects flash cars, owning a £99,000 Land Rover, a £35,000 Jaguar F-Pace and a £212,000 Bentley.
      Harry finally overlook Jimmy Greaves’ longstanding record as Spurs’ top scorer by notching the winner against Manchester City last weekend, the club that tried to sign him in the summer of 2021.
      There’s talk Harry is leaning towards extending his contract with his boyhood club in 2024, when his current deal expires.
      Most read in Football
      That would almost certainly mean the prolific frontman would end his career in North London.
      Shame he won’t be interested in a move to my club Everton.
      He’ll feel right at home – we don’t win anything either. More

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      in Boxing

      Blind amateur boxer prepares for debut fight – against fully sighted opponent

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      AN amateur boxer who is registered blind is ­preparing for his debut fight — against a fully sighted opponent.Thomas Seres, 23, can see only 3ft in front of him due to severe congenital glaucoma.
      Thomas Seres has a level 2 boxing certificate despite suffering severe congenital glaucomaCredit: NB PRESS LTD
      Thomas is looking for a fair fight hoping his opponent ‘doesn’t go easy on him’Credit: NB PRESS LTD
      But the Rocky fan will take part in a charity bout next month, saying: “Losing is not an option.”
      Thomas, who walks with a cane, said: “I’ve always wanted to box but didn’t think I could until I joined a boxing gym.
      “I’ll give it my best in the fight — win, lose or draw. Boxing’s quite an up-close sport so that’s in my favour, but I’ll struggle seeing some of the punches coming in.”
      Thomas, of Barnsley, who has a Level 2 boxing certificate, added: “I hope he doesn’t go easy on me for being blind.
      READ MORE BOXING NEWS
      “He’ll pay if he does. I have a knockout punch.”
      Thomas is currently training three days a week and weightlifting on the other days to be as strong as possible.
      He is fighting to raise money for Cancer Research UK. More

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      in Soccer

      Rishi Sunak delays announcing football shake-up after bombshell leak to The Sun

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      RISHI Sunak has delayed announcing his footie shake-up after we blew the lid on the plans last week.The PM was due to unveil the overhaul this week but has now kicked it back a fortnight following the bombshell leak to the Sun.
      Rishi Sunak has delayed announcing his footie shake-up after we blew the lid on the plansCredit: Alamy
      Our report revealed plans for a new regulator to block takeovers from dodgy owners while giving fans a greater say in the running of clubs.
      Teams would also be banned from joining breakaway competitions like the European Super League.
      And Premier League clubs would be forced to give more money to struggling lower league sides.
      Insiders admitted the delay was to let the dust settle after the leak so the PM can announce the Football White Paper with fanfare.
      Read More on Rishi Sunak
      But Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell said: “We urgently need proper football regulation.
      “Bury has already collapsed.
      “Many other clubs have been pushed to the brink.”
      Downing Street said it’s “not uncommon for timings to move on certain policies”.
      Most read in Football More

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      I’m Britain’s oldest football ref – I’ve taken charge of 5,000 matches and I’ve no plans to hang up my whistle

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      BRITAIN’S oldest football referee Frank Foster has no plans to blow full-time on his hobby — at 89.The energetic great-grandad aims to carry on officiating well into his 90s before he hangs up his whistle for good.
      Frank Foster, 89, is the UK oldest referee and aims to carry on officiating well into his 90s before he hangs up his whistle for goodCredit: SWNS
      Frank has taken charge of more than 5,000 football games over his careerCredit: SWNS
      So far, he has taken charge of more than 5,000 men’s, women’s and children’s games during a 43-year career and he still refs three times a week.
      Frank, who turned out as a player for Bamford FC in Derbys in his younger years, took up coaching and refereeing after a knee injury forced him out of the game.
      He passed his referee’s exam in 1980, scoring 98 per cent.
      He said: “I just love being a ref — whether it’s girls’ football, women’s, boys’ or men’s, I’m the same.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      “I love the game but you’ve got to play by the rules, so no diving or dissent. I don’t accept trouble, even from spectators.
      “When I talk to the players before the match, I tell them to play to the whistle and all that jazz.
      “I tell them to not get into altercations and that I’ll sort it out because if you retaliate, then it’s even worse.”
      Frank, of Sheffield, ­officiates for the ­Sheffield and Hallamshire FA.
      Most read in Football
      The Sheffield United supporter says people occasionally comment on his age after matches, but not often.
      During his playing career, Frank turned out as a player for Bamford FC in DerbyshireCredit: SWNS
      He added: “There has been times when I’m leaving the field and someone comes up to me and asks how old I am.
      “I ask them how old they think I am. They might say 67 but I’ll always say, ‘Spot on’. I don’t think about my age and I’ll be a referee until I can’t keep up.
      “I might eventually need a moped at half-time but I’ll always keep doing it!”
      On being strict with rowdy supporters, he said: “One time I sent a chap away and he asked how far I wanted him to walk.
      “I told him that if he sees a No5 bus then he should get on.” More

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      Inside Wrexham revolution where footie fans buy beer by suitcase load and bucket hats sell out – thanks to Ryan Reynolds

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      DRIVING into football’s unlikely new hotbed, you are greeted with 3ft-high letters on a pub roof reminiscent of the famous Hollywood sign – but this time reading “Wrexham”.The grey skies above the Grey-hound Inn and the bitter wind blowing off the Welsh mountains, however, are hardly Californian.
      Wrexham beat  Coventry 4-3 in previous round of FA CupCredit: Getty
      Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds’ reaction as he celebrates the equalising goal against Sheffield UnitedCredit: Rex
      The Grey-hound Inn is hardly Californian but Reynolds has helped transform the fortunes of this North Wales former coal and steel cityCredit: .
      Even so, celebrity glitter has helped transform the fortunes of this North Wales former coal and steel city that’s had its fair share of hardship.
      The dozens queuing for FA Cup tickets in Wrexham AFC’s car park are quick to credit American actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney — who bought the club in 2021 — for the transformation.
      Ryan, best known for his starring role in the Deadpool films, was at the club last week with daughter James, eight, to watch his non-league side’s dramatic FA Cup clash against Sheffield United.
      And it seems the club have had a similarly transformative effect on the Hollywood star.
      READ MORE ON Wrexham
      He was pictured celebrating with fans as Wrexham looked to have pulled off a shock win against a team who sit second in the Championship, three leagues above them.
      It was not to be as a last-second equaliser saw the game end 3-3, prompting Ryan to later tweet it was “one of the most exciting things I’ve ever seen”.
      His wife Blake Lively, who stars in Gossip Girl, posted a snap of Ryan with his head in his hands and added: “I bought ESPN+ today. Just to watch my husband experience crippling anxiety live. Worth it.”
      ‘On the up’
      Talking to me outside the ground, fan Les Buxton, 66, a retired Royal Navy submariner, said: “When I heard two Hollywood stars were taking over the club I thought it was pie in the sky.
      Most read in Football
      “The club was on its knees but they’ve come in and they’ve turned the place around. I sit below Rob and Ryan in the stands and can see what this club means to them.
      “They’ve taken the town to their hearts, as well as the football club.”
      Wrexham, with a population of around 62,000, was once a heavy industry powerhouse. Its coalfield boasted 38 pits and employed 18,000 people at its peak.
      Fans queue for tickets for the next game in the FA Cup against Sheffield United at Wrexham Football clubCredit: .
      Mark, pictured, and Vaughan Roberts, managing directors of brewery Wrexham Lager, say sales of their beer have risen ‘exponentially’Credit: .
      In 1864 a football club was formed, making it the third oldest professional side in the world, and it was soon a cornerstone of the working-class city.
      A stalwart of lower-division football, its league high watermark was 15th in the old Second Division (now the Championship) in 1979.
      As Welsh Cup winners, there were European competition nights, with celebrated victories at its atmospheric Racecourse Ground against Antwerp and Porto.
      The last local coal mine, Bersham, closed in 1986 with the loss of 700 jobs. And the city and its proud football club went into decline.
      Retired building manager Graham Roberts, 74, who watched his first Dragons game 60 years ago, told me: “My father was a steel worker and my grandfather a miner.
      “Every family had someone that was a miner. When the pits closed, the town struggled, and so did the football club.”
      In 2004 the club went into administration with massive debts and was given notice to quit the Racecourse Ground by its former owner so it could be sold as a retail site.
      In 2008, after 87 years, the club was relegated from the Football League, with its Kop stand dilapidated.
      It had hit rock bottom, then stayed there. It would take a fan buy-out to save it from going under.
      Then came a twist that could have been written in Hollywood. And in a way, it was.
      Actors Ryan and Rob, who stars in US sitcom It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, bought the club, injecting glamour and £2million.
      Their ownership saga was filmed for documentary series Welcome To Wrexham — screened on Disney+ — which turned the Dragons into one of the best-known clubs in the world.
      At the Chevron Clothing shop in the High Street, manager Jamie Powis said: ‘Since Rob and Ryan came in it’s gone through the roof for us’Credit: .
      Ex-steel worker Alan Hughes, 61, said of the new owners: ‘I think they genuinely love the club and the city’Credit: .
      Kit sponsor Ifor Williams Trailers, based nearby, was joined by multinational heavyweights TikTok and Expedia as backers.
      Fans from as far away as New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the US have flocked to the city, giving a boost to local commerce and business.
      In December Ryan and Rob met the King and Queen at the Racecourse Ground after visiting Wrexham to celebrate it gaining city status.
      At her constituency office, local MP Sarah Atherton told me: “Wrexham is on the up and football has been a catalyst. The global reach of Disney has helped. It’s fantastic, there’s a real buzz around the town.”
      THEIR HONOURS

      1977/78: Third Division champions
      1976: European Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-finalists
      1974, 1978, 1997: FA Cup quarter-finalists
      1961, 1978: League Cup quarter-finalists
      2005: Football League Trophy
      2013: FA Trophy
      Welsh Cup: Won 23 times
      Welsh Premier Cup: Won 5 times

      A giant industrial estate on the edge of Wrexham — soon to be Europe’s biggest — announced a further 56-acre development last month, citing the “feelgood factor” engendered by the football club.
      Tim Knowles, managing director of FI Real Estate Management, which has invested more than £136million at the site, said of the Hollywood connection: “It’s supercharged Wrexham.
      “It’s so exciting. Wrexham is a great place and we know we can attract major tenants which will create more jobs.”
      At the Chevron Clothing shop in the High Street, manager Jamie Powis said: “Since Rob and Ryan came in it’s gone through the roof for us.
      “Our themed bucket hats have completely sold out and we’ve been selling T-shirts to America.”
      ‘Down-to-earth guys’
      Jamie, 49, who sells hoodies emblazoned with Ryan’s face for £45, added: “We had a couple over from Texas last week to see the game but it was sold out.
      Local MP Sarah Atherton revealed: ‘Wrexham is on the up and football has been a catalyst. The global reach of Disney has helped’Credit: .
      Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the club in 2021 for the transformationCredit: PA
      “They ended up watching it in a pub by the ground instead.”
      At the Cross Foxes pub nearby, landlady Joanne Mee said Ryan has popped in for a game of darts.
      She told me: “We just let him get on with it. He was playing darts with a friend.
      “Since Rob and Ryan took over we’ve had a massive improvement in sales and foot traffic. I think the documentary has boosted tourism.
      “We get lots of Americans coming in, drinking shots and pints.
      “The atmosphere on match day is fantastic.”
      Just up the road, Ahmet Karakaya and Zico Yunus run the Central Kebab And Pizza House, and say match days are “crazy”.
      Ahmet, originally from Turkey, said: “Before the football and after the football the fans love a kebab.
      “It’s the busiest I’ve known in my five years working here. Wrexham is booming.”
      Locals say the Hollywood pair are approachable and genuine, giving cash to a number of good causes.
      In August 2021 they donated £20,000 for four-year-old Aria Hodgkiss to have treatment for a rare brain cancer.
      Last month Ryan gave £1,600 to local indoor football team FC United of Wrexham’s under-12 boys’ side to pay for new kit.
      Mark and Vaughan Roberts, managing directors of brewery Wrexham Lager, say sales of their beer have risen “exponentially”, spurred on by the city’s Hollywood connection.
      With a picture of their great-grandfather, Wrexham and Wales footballer Jack Jones staring down from their city-centre office wall, Mark, 62, says that the celebrity pair have “brought a new lease of life to the city”.
      He adds: “We get tourists from all over because of the documentary series. The furthest was from New Zealand.
      “They take beer home in their suitcases and some of our branded merchandise.”
      Wrexham Lager’s Pride Of The Celts was first brewed in 1882, making it Britain’s oldest.
      It was served on the Titanic — prompting Mark’s joke, “It went down well”. The firm now sponsors a stand at the Racecourse Ground.
      Actor Rob has visited the brewery and Mark’s brother Vaughan, 59, said: “The club was kept alive by the fans and attendance was down to around 4,000 diehards.
      “What Ryan and Rob have done for the city is amazing but they’re just normal, down-to-earth guys. I’ve never heard a bad word said about them.”
      The celebrity pair have clearly won over the city but they have found escaping the National League — England’s fifth tier — tough.
      There’s just one automatic promotion place and last season Wrexham lost to Grimsby in a play-off semi-final.
      Tomorrow evening the Dragons, who beat Coventry in the previous round of the FA Cup, head to Bramall Lane for their replay against Sheffield United.
      In the queue for tickets, the hum of mechanical diggers can be heard as work continues for a new 5,500-capacity Kop stand.
      It’s heady days for the fans. But after so much heartache in previous years, are they worried the Hollywood duo will quit if ratings slump?
      Ex-steel worker Alan Hughes, 61, said: “If they left we would be on a sound footing but I don’t think they will. I think they genuinely love the club and the city.”
      Rob has said that he and Ryan are “in this for the rest of our lives”, while Ryan said recently: “It has been the greatest experience of my entire life.
      “I love it because it’s a project that’s going to be multi-decades. The part I find most gratifying is the support from the community outside the club.”
      Also queuing for his cup ticket, technician John Michael, 49, said: “The club has been totally reborn.
      “Ryan and Rob have brought jobs to the town and got the whole place buzzing.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Kids are now proudly walking around the city in their Wrexham strips, even if their parents support Liverpool or Manchester United.
      “Ryan and Rob have really changed people’s lives. How could you walk away from that?”
      WHY DID ACTORS BUY IT?
      WREXHAM fans can thank Netflix – not Disney – for their Hollywood takeover.
      Rob, 45, got the idea to buy a team while watching the platform’s documentary Sunderland ’Til I Die.
      He needed a wealthy entrepreneur to join him and Deadpool actor Ryan said yes even though the two men had never met.
      They were just text friends before becoming business partners. The pair made a list of clubs they might be able to afford and in November 2020 chose Wrexham because of its 158-year history.
      Ryan, 46, said “the thing that really hooked me” was “getting involved in the community around that club and growing that”.
      Another key factor was British actor Humphrey Ker, 40, who got Rob into football while working with him on It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.
      He is now executive director at Wrexham, helping to oversee the day-to-day running of the club. More