Wrexham A.F.C. co-owner Ryan Reynolds was shocked to see his club been drawn to play London giant, Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup while watching in disbelief next to actor Hugh Jackman.
Reynolds, using an iPad during the draw, at first did not know what to say when Chelsea were confirmed to be the visitors to the Racecourse Ground in March. After a moment of silence, the Hollywood star described the excitement around the tie with a profanity-laden question, summarizing the situation.
This match is another giant step in Wrexham’s almost fairy tale journey through the ranks of English football. The last time these teams played each other in a 2023 pre-season friendly, which ended in a 5-0 victory for Chelsea, the Welsh club was only at the top of the fifth tier, whereas now, after all the changes in the squad and raising of ambitions, they are a promotion pitch away from the next level.
Significant changes in the squad have led to a number of former key players leaving either to get more playing time or because they were unable to keep up with the club’s rapid rise. On the other hand, Chelsea have also greatly changed their line-up since then, with none of the scorers from that friendly still playing at Stamford Bridge.
Wrexham’s quite a rapid progress and the fact that they’ll be playing at home despite the difference in class are reasons for hope for a great upset, thus making their matchup one of the most attractive of the round.
