26 June 2024 , 08:37
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Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham will face Birmingham City in the opening weeks of the League One season - with extra spotlight likely to be on the clash after he was forced to deny that talks had taken place for the game to be played in the US.
The Red Dragons are preparing for their first campaign in the third tier in 20 years after earning promotion last season as runners-up in League Two. Now, the fixtures for the 2024-25 season have been released, with the Welsh outfit set for a series of tough tests in their first couple of months of the term.
Following clashes with promotion hopefuls Bolton Wanderers and cross-border derby rivals Shrewsbury Town in their first five fixtures, Phil Parkinson's side will face Birmingham on September 14, with the reverse game on January 25. The clash between the two clubs promises to be an intriguing contest - not least due to the worldwide fame of the teams' respective co-owners.
With Hollywood superstars Reynolds and Rob McElhenney having transformed Wrexham's fortunes in recent years, their efforts have contrasted with how the Blues have fared under their ownership group, which includes NFL great Tom Brady.
Following the takeover from American firm Shelby Companies last July, the St Andrew's club fell into the third tier for a first time in nearly 30 years as they suffered relegation from the Championship.
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After head coach John Eustace was dismissed with the Second City outfit sitting in the playoff spots, a revolving door of bosses consisting of Wayne Rooney, Tony Mowbray and Gary Rowett oversaw their demotion. As a result, their drop into League One put them on a collision course with Wrexham for next term.
The clashes between the two sides will carry extra needle after the Dragons' Reynolds was forced to dismiss claims that a game with Birmingham could be played on American soil. That came after a report emerged in the Telegraph, which suggested that Birmingham's chiefs had mooted the idea - without making any solid proposals to the EFL.
Tom Brady's Birmingham City will face off against Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham in the new League One campaignDespite the clubs boasting burgeoning appeal stateside as a result of their ties with A-List royalty, Reynolds appeared eager to shoot down any suggestions that a game would be staged in the US. After being pressed on the report, he took to Twitter/X to confirm to one disgruntled fan: "There have been no talks."
Meanwhile, Neil Cotterell, chair of Birmingham City’s supporters’ trust, discussed the report as he warned that playing a match in the States could 'alienate' the club's core fanbase. He told Mirror Sport: "While I can see an idea like this could have commercial benefits and increase the profile of the club, there is a risk of alienating regular match-going fans and it could also have wider implications for the Football League.
"It seems to me that any such idea would be at an early stage and hopefully the club would engage with fans before pursuing further," he continued, before offering up a hypothetical compromise. "I think of much more interest to supporters could be a pre-season friendly in the US which could still have commercial benefits."