Between its celebrity ownership and hit TV show, Wrexham AFC has been a dynamo off the field. Now, it’s making waves on it.
Wrexham is the only non-league club of the 32 remaining in the FA Cup. Wrexham plays in the National League — the fifth tier of English football and the first outside of the English Football League system.
This is actually not the first time the small Welsh side — and the third-oldest club in the world — has made noise in the competition: In 1992, Wrexham defeated reigning champions Arsenal 2-1 in what is considered one of the FA Cup’s greatest “giant killings” of all time.
Since then, Wrexham fell on hard times — but has experienced a renaissance since being acquired by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
In October, Wrexham’s fourth-round FA Cup qualifying match against Blyth was broadcast on ESPN2 — the first time the Worldwide Leader has broadcast a match that low on one of its linear networks.
Wrexham’s third-round proper victory won them £105,000 (approximately $130,000). They’ll take home £120,000 ($149,000) if they can defeat Sheffield United on Sunday — and £2 million ($2.48M) if they can continue the Cinderella run all the way to an FA Cup Final victory.
