Original subtitles

[Griffiths] James does brilliantly to turn away from trouble.

He's walked into a pocket of trouble though,

and O'Connell drills a shot

but puts it over from the edge of the area.

[Mulholland] He's struggling.

[commentator 2] Callum Burton, we just saw him pull up,

as he took that goal kick

and it looks to be a problem with the right thigh.

[Burton]

- [Mulholland] You felt it pop? - Yeah.

[commentator 2] It'd be a massive blow.

[Griffiths] Hell of a blow, isn't it, to lose Burton,

who's done so well since Okonkwo's injury.

[Mulholland] Yes, guys, repeat, we're going to need to change.

- We need to change. We need to change. - [Burton] Fuck!

It's not often that the third-choice goalkeeper is required.

It's a strange scenario. It doesn't really happen.

[commentator 2] Mark Howard,

he has not played a league game for a year.

[McElhenney] Talk about answering the call.

I mean, Chomp just keeps stepping up when we need him most.

[commentator 3] Rob Lainton coming off. Mark Howard has come on to replace him.

[Griffiths] After losing Ben Foster, Mark Howard comes in in goal.

[commentator 4] They said Okonkwo's picking up that jaw injury.

- Now it's Mark Howard in goal. - [whistle blows]

[Griffiths] At 38 years old,

Mark Howard's in his 18th year playing professional football.

[McElhenney] Long in the tooth for the sport.

It's amazing that he always keeps himself so ready to step up and step in.

[Howard] Obviously as the season developed,

I didn't think that I would play any games,

so I train a lot and stay ready just in case for every scenario basically.

I'm quite robust. I still dive around as if I was 18 years old.

[Mulholland] There's many aspects to the secret

of longevity and playing careers for football players.

For Mark, he's an experienced professional,

so he knows what he needs to do on a daily basis.

He's in the gym doing his mobility.

He'll come in the mornings and do some CV work

before other members of the team even get in.

He's really embraced the use of technology to help him stay at the top of his game.

If you look after yourself well enough,

you have a better chance of having a longer career.

[Griffiths] This is huge.

Wrexham beat another of our promotion rivals,

another home clean sheet.

[Harvey] Without putting too fine a point on it,

Mark Howard's form over the next five games

could be the thing that defines our season.

[♪ "Don't Forget" plays]

♪♪ Don't forget where you came from ♪

♪♪ Don't forget what you're made of ♪

♪♪ The ones who were there ♪

♪♪ When no one else would care ♪

♪♪ Don't be afraid to cry now ♪

♪♪ Even when the world comes crashing in ♪

♪♪ Don't forget to sing when you win ♪

♪♪ Don't forget to sing when you win ♪

[song ends]

♪♪ We wish you a Merry Christmas We wish you a Merry Christmas ♪

♪♪ We wish you a Merry Christmas And a Happy New Year ♪

[applause]

[Gilpin] It's nearly Christmas, Tim. How are you feeling at the moment?

[Edwards] All right,

apart from these injuries, which is mega frustrating.

[Gilpin] Yeah, we've lost Arthur Okonkwo again.

Mark Howard is having to step in for him.

[Edwards] Come on, Chomp.

We are here to watch a game of football. Wrexham against Cambridge United.

Cambridge are struggling,

they're toward the bottom of the League, and we're flying high,

so I think, sort of a 3-1 to Cambridge.

- That's a Wrexham man talking, yeah. - Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Let's go, Wrexham!

The holiday period is demanding. The games come thick and fast.

Up the town!

[Lee] It's a real crucial part of the season.

- Cambridge. It'll be fine. - [chuckling]

Hi. Hello.

So I was just doing my usual match routine and Ryan walks in

and he's brought another friend with him.

What up, boys?

[♪ R & B playing]

[laughter]

From minute one, it was like we're just having a banter.

Like he was one of the lads and we're joking around.

[Reynolds] He will, like, drink you under the table.

[Reynolds] He will, like, drink you under the table. I'm not actually even joking.

I'm not actually even joking.

Suppose it's different to anything ever.

Like any other club, and it's all part of being part of Wrexham.

[Griffiths] Welcome to our coverage of Wrexham against Cambridge United.

Wrexham need to win this.

[Roberts] Yeah, best home record in the league

against the worst away record in the league, so fingers crossed.

[fans] Wrexham! Wrexham! Wrexham!

Come on, Wrexham! Let's kick it! Come on!

[Griffiths] Bennett with the corner. Howard punches it off the line.

[Griffiths] Good strength over the edge of the area by Lavery.

Tight on the touchline and a great burst of pace takes him past Cleworth.

Pulls it back brilliantly and it's 1-0. Cambridge take the lead.

[Roberts] Yeah, it silenced the Racecourse, that one.

Come on, let's go again! Come on!

[Griffiths] Barnett's got Lee offering and finds him,

and Lee with a nicely weighted return pass.

Barnett whips in the cross. McClean will tap it! And it's one all!

[cheering]

[Griffiths] Great quality from Barnett. Terrific header from McClean.

[Roberts] Yeah, brilliant response by Wrexham.

It was a great ball in by Barnett

like you say, but the movement by James McClean is superb.

And it's one each. James McClean!

[commentator 5] That goal's really got them going.

Wrexham!

[Griffiths] Palmer stretches, gets a head to it.

Put back into the box. Mishit by McClean, and Nlundulu's just beaten to it.

Sharp goalkeeping by Howard.

[Parkinson] Fucking brilliant, son. Fucking tremendous.

[chanting, cheering]

[Griffiths] There is activity on the Wrexham bench.

[Reynolds] Yeah.

I've played in the Premier league for a long time.

[commentator 1] Coming in for Fletcher!

[Fletcher]

- [commentator 1] Fletcher! - [commentator 2] Goal!

[commentator 1] What? Insane. Fletcher--

[Fletcher]

[commentator 1] And Steven Fletcher has scored.

Yeah, the longevity for Fletch, he's got a really good relationship

with the physios downstairs, which is really important

because with an older player, they need to tell us what they're feeling

and he's got that experience.

He knows his own body. We can have that clear communication

as a medical team with the manager, making sure that he's fit

and available for Saturdays.

[Roberts] Already a threat there from Fletcher up top.

[commentator 2] We can sense that it's lifted everybody

in the stadium a little bit, hasn't it?

Go on, boys!

Go on, boys! [Griffiths] Rathbone with a long busting run, and he's won it!

[Griffiths] Rathbone with a long busting run, and he's won it!

And then he's got two men marked by two in the middle.

Pulls it back.

Fletcher, goal!

Rathbone tees up Steven Fletcher.

Lovely measured finish by the Scotsman.

Oh, that was epic.

Fletcher's first goal since the opening day of the season.

[Roberts] We said the atmosphere had gone up.

It's just gone up ten times even more.

Wrexham!

[Griffiths] Into the last minutes. Cambridge refuse to roll over.

- [whistle blows] - Kaikai goes down in the box. Penalty.

And Cambridge, with three minutes left,

get a massive, massive decision in their favor.

- [spectators booing] - Howard, arms outstretched,

trying to make himself look big.

Then changes the angle, steps up right-footed and drills it in.

Howard sold himself.

It was an unorthodox run-up and Howard fell for it.

- [whistle blows] - And that is the final whistle.

- [Tatum] That was frustrating. - Yeah.

[Lee] It was just one of those days that we were in control of the game,

but it was a last-minute penalty, and they took two points off us.

Ryan was scheduled to leave straight after the Cambridge match,

but we heard that Channing was shooting a commercial with us

on Monday, so we knew he was staying around the town.

And obviously it being my 30th birthday party that night,

we took the opportunity to invite Channing to the bash.

What followed was a great night that will live long in the memory, yeah.

- [crew member] Were all these guys here? - Mostly everybody.

No. [chuckles]

Channing Tatum is actually magic though.

So, check this out.

Way back in 2006, almost 20 years ago, he danced in a movie.

He was 26 years old and people were like, "This kid can dance."

So he made a bunch more movies,

including a couple about a certain, uh, Magic Mike.

Maybe you've heard of them.

Three, two, one, action.

All right, boys.

[Reynolds] And now he's almost 45.

I mean, this is all him, no wires, no CGI. Just entirely made of magic.

He's boneless. He has no bones!

Talk about built to last. You can't dance like that in your 40s.

Talk about built to last. You can't dance like that in your 40s. They're not ready for this.

They're not ready for this.

You guys got it?

[♪ "Shout-out for the Encore" plays]

Yes. No, no, we gotta keep it classy. Get your clothes back on.

[applause]

[Chadwick] Come on, Tom, open up then.

Listen to what Luke's saying. 80-90.

Yellow's on! Play a color! Let's go!

A football academy is there for identified players

who've been recruited with a view of having real good potential

to become professional footballers.

[Moore] Can you jog, please? If I say jog, I mean jog, not walk.

So the academy is critical for the long-term success of the club,

because an academy is going to be the pipeline for our future.

Long-term, it's going to help make us sustainable as a football club.

Five years from now, ten years from now, 15 years from now,

you're going to see national team players

that have come through our academy program.

Good, Tom Kelly.

[Chadwick] Good. Turn and dribble, turn and dribble. Good.

You've only got to look at Jordan Davies and Max Cleworth,

the two players in the last few years that have come through our academy.

That affection, that warmth is very clear. You know, particularly for Jordan,

who was born right up the road from the stadium.

[commentator] Here's Davies. Davies!

[fans] Jordan Davies, he's one of our own!

[Ker] Max is someone that has been with us since he was 12 or something like that.

[Griffiths] Under the bar, Cleworth is there!

It's in! Wrexham score!

[Ker] You know, you look at the two of them, and I don't know

what signing those players would have cost the club.

Um, they are worth their weight in gold.

[Griffiths] Sweeps it in to the near post. He's there! Max Cleworth again!

You just can't stop him scoring.

[Chadwick] Nice and tidy there, Alex.

[Harvey] When Rob and Ryan took over the club in 2021,

we didn't have a really strong academy. We couldn't afford it.

Run quicker than that, Joe Rees. We're never gonna score.

[Harvey] So an academy is effectively

an elite training school for boys between nine and 16.

[coach] That little turn, good hook turn. Well done.

And all that we're training them with a view to them becoming scholars

to start with at 16 and then ultimately professionals thereafter.

A scholar is like an old-fashioned apprentice.

As soon as you're able to leave school at 16 and full-time education,

then effectively your education is then a combination

of academic and football.

Yes, Mo. Good lad.

[Harvey] So the big change this summer was going from Category 4 to Category 3.

The primary criteria are facilities. And that's a massive financial commitment.

[coach] Good height, Els, across, across, across, yes. What a save, Els.

Good, Ollie! Lovely pass, Ollie.

[Lowe] So this will be the main pitch for the under-18 games.

And full size, full length, width. Under-15s and 16s, 11 v. 11

- on this pitch. - [Williamson] Okay.

Category 3, it's a large investment.

We needed to invest two million pounds just into the infrastructure

of pitches and dressing rooms and offices.

We're hiring close to 40 new people just for the academy side of things.

- You gonna write your initials into the... - I'll let you do that, Michael.

[Williamson laughs]

We're in our infancy, but I'm confident we can develop

an infrastructure that will help us in terms of longevity

and develop players for many years to come.

It's a major, major milestone for this club and obviously the future

and the sustainability of Pathway to Pro.

So setting up all these facilities isn't cheap,

but effectively it's an investment that enables you to either develop players

for your own first team,

or to ultimately sell players to other clubs.

So, hopefully, the cost of running the academy is actually met

by players playing for our first team that we've not had to pay for,

or transfer fees received for players that you actually sell on in the future.

It should become a self-funding model over an extended period of time.

You're investing in players, investing in an academy long term.

It says we're building this thing to last.

Good quality, Ollie. Good.

[parent] Come on, lads, see you later. Shut that door, babe.

[Kelly]

[Sarah] Yeah.

This is the first time for a good few years

that the youth team have been at the Racecourse,

so we tend to watch the men's and the women's,

so we thought we'd check out the youth team as well.

Want to come and see the future Messi, the future Neymar, this is where it's at.

[Kelly]

[Griffiths] It's fascinating to see these youth sides,

just to get a sense of what's coming through

and whether there's anyone to be excited about.

- [whistle blows] - As Morecambe kicking towards the end,

get underway, knocking it long.

Kelly underneath that.

[Griffiths] To the edge of the D, shooting chance. Driven...

Hits the bar and goes behind. Great strike, that, by Hazeldine.

Go on! Try and get past him!

[Kelly]

[Griffiths] Owen falls as he's hitting it. He was stretching for it.

- Well, that was glorious until the finish. - [whistle blows]

[Griffiths] Wrexham put in a good performance overall.

We need to be more aggressive.

I think we need to tackle harder.

The people don't want to do it at academy football, but we do.

Come on, you can do it, let's go.

[Griffiths] Here's Kelly and he puts it into the far post

and just about kept in there.

Good hands by the keeper as it drops in his goal mouth.

[Kelly]

[Griffiths] There's nothing better than a really good game that turns a bit nasty.

[Kelly]

[Griffiths] One last chance perhaps. Brought down well by Nawaz.

And swept to the left side. Maybe a chance for Wrexham. Early shot!

Yes! Wrexham win it! And it's Kelly,

Yes! Wrexham win it! And it's Kelly, drilling it across the keeper,

drilling it across the keeper,

in added time at the end of extra time.

A terrific finish. Hear the final whistle.

- [whistle blows] - Whoa, that was a bit of a game.

Players charging onto the pitch to celebrate.

[Griffiths] I'm so pleased they got that last-minute goal

to take them through to the next round. It's a big step for this young team.

The future's bright if you've got young players coming through like that.

Come on, Wrexham!

Come on, Wrexham!

Boxing Day in Wrexham, it's always a tradition we play at home.

No, it's one of the best games of the season.

Red army!

[Harvey] The Christmas period, four games, can really make a big difference

at the end of the season, and, of course, we've just hit a little bit

of a flat spot with a couple of draws.

Going into the Blackpool game on Boxing Day,

this is a key game for us to win.

[Parkinson] The last home game, let's be fucking honest,

Cambridge came here and played hungrier than us.

Today, we get back to being a fucking horrible team to play against,

so they come off the pitch and go,

"Fucking hell, they were so fucking hard to play against."

If we do all that and they take a point off us or whatever,

I'll fucking shake their hand, but let's put them to the fucking torch.

[players clapping]

Come on, you reds!

[Griffiths] The Racecourse is swathed in fog.

Goodness me.

Mark Howard continues in goal,

although wouldn't want to be a goalie today.

Wrexham!

[Griffiths] And away we go, as Apter immediately plays it back

to the keeper Tyrer, who goes long.

But I tell you what, it's a foggy one. It's a proper pea-souper.

And Wrexham are having to defend on the right-hand side.

Blackpool getting round the back of the defense.

Ball comes in and Blackpool score, ball in to the near post.

That's a bad start for Wrexham in the gloom.

Worst possible start. Two minutes gone and we're one-nil down.

[Griffiths] That's a nasty free kick.

[commentator 3] It was a really good save. Mark Howard.

A little flick, I think,

at the near post or just over the heads, down low to his left.

Blackpool always been considered Wrexham's unlucky team.

Palmer feeds it to Mullin, and Mullin turns

and hooks a long-range shot. What a goal!

Out of nothing. An absolute screamer.

[cheering]

[Griffiths] And Wrexham equalize in a grand fashion.

- Mullin! - [whoops]

- [Roberts] Super Paul Mullin. - [Griffiths chuckles]

[Roberts] How do you announce yourself back into the starting lineup?

I'll tell you what, that is how.

[Parkinson] What a fucking goal.

Yes! Go on!

[Parkinson]

[Griffiths] Fletcher wouldn't mind a go at this defense, I suspect.

First half of this second period is all Wrexham.

No goal to show for it though.

Howard launching a huge kick

and Fletcher's got there, goal-side of his man.

Can he hit it? It's blocked.

Huge shout for handball.

And the ref has given it. He took his time over it.

And now Blackpool complaining.

[commentator 3] First penalty for us this season.

[Griffiths] Yep.

On his line, the ref's given the go-ahead. Short run up by Fletcher on his left foot.

He sets himself... and scores!

[fans cheering]

[Griffiths] And Wrexham take the lead in the 88th minute.

All his own work. Fletcher drilled it into the far-left corner.

And terrific scenes of celebration.

Yeah!

[Harvey] You always look with a little wry smile on your face because,

for all the new signings we've made, some of the old faithful often come up trumps

when you need them to.

You got Paul Mullin, Mark Howard, and then Steven Fletcher stepping up.

[Griffiths] And the ref blows the final whistle.

Again, showing the resilience of some of the oldest players on the team.

That was a Boxing Day epic.

And Wrexham get a rare victory, only our fourth ever against Blackpool.

I fucking love it.

[Howard] I didn't expect to be playing, but it goes to show that,

although I am 38 years old, I can still go out there and still do it.

[Parkin] As soon as you get Christmas out the way,

teams you play are gonna be good teams.

It gets cranked up after Christmas, but that's exactly how we like it.

[crowd cheering]

[Howard]

You freeroll into every game,

not a lot of downtime,

it's almost like you play, you turn up, you train, you then play again.

You come off the back of a good result against Blackpool,

and you're straight into another game against Wigan.

That's why we need to keep ourselves fit

so we'll be built to be able to sustain through this tough period.

[Griffiths] We're into the 70th minute. Fletcher comes on.

The man who scored the winner against Blackpool.

Can he make a difference?

[Harvey] The Wigan game, you know, going into injury time,

game's all square again.

And we're pushing for a winning goal.

[fan] Come on, let's have one. Kill them off.

[Griffiths] Howard drills it long.

Come on!

[Griffiths] McClean left-hand side, hits the shot, overhits it horribly.

[Roberts] Well, you just hope it's not the last chance.

[Griffiths] Wigan, sharp, pressing hard.

Can Wrexham grab the winner?

Oh, and Lee picks it up and finds McClean.

He drills it in towards Fletcher.

Chested down nicely.

Hits it!

- [crowd cheering] - Yes!

Steven Fletcher!

Straight as an arrow. And what a celebration!

Running the length of the pitch!

Along the Macron Stand.

He's an absolute ageless wonder.

[Roberts] He was the hero of Boxing Day. He's done it again today.

[Griffiths ] That's three in three in home games, isn't it?

Cambridge, then Blackpool, and now Wigan.

Wow. What an impact Fletcher's had since coming back from injury.

- Wrexham! - [whistle blows]

[Griffiths] And the referee blows for full time.

- [crowd cheering] - [Fletcher exhales sharply]

[Griffiths] And after that terrific win against Wigan, we're back in second.

[McElhenney] As a reminder, Steven Fletcher is 37 years old.

Chomp is 38 years old, and James McClean is 36 years old.

[Reynolds] What they're putting their body through in their late 30s

is just, it's insane.

What were you doing in your late 30s, Rob?

[McElhenney] Something equally reckless.

I'm fat.

- How about you, Ryan? - Deadpool.

Maximum effort.

But I have a stunt person, and the suit is remarkably protective, so...

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that these guys are the real heroes.

[crowd] Fletcher!

[♪ up-tempo rock plays]

♪♪ I am an animal ♪

When I started my training, which was back in September,

I really couldn't run to catch a bus.

Over the last couple of months, I've, you know, progressed to kind of running,

at this moment in time, about five miles a go.

♪♪ I am an animal ♪

- [groans] I hate this. Okay. Fine, fine. - Walk, walk. Walk, walk.

About to do a bunch of running in England

- during the winter, over Christmas. - Yes, England and Wales.

At my parents' house and in Wrexham.

- Yeah. - Uh, we'll pound the mean streets.

It's not quite probably as sunny as this.

- No, it's gonna be different weather-- - Smash cut to...

[♪ somber music plays]

[Ker] I'm starting to hate it more than I thought I would when I started.

So that's good, that's progress.

So far I've had good runs where I feel incredible, like some sort of god.

[smacks lips, groans]

And I have others where it's like, God, the marathon's never felt further away.

And eventually, you know, hopefully, you get to where you're trying to get to.

[Mulholland]

Mixed bag. Just starting to have this kind of challenge

where the lower kind of left-hand side of my back, it's very painful.

- Shall we have a little look at you? - Sure.

You just bend down and touch your toes. Any pain and discomfort in that?

- [Ker grunts] - Any sensation come on there?

- [Ker grunts] - Any sensation come on there? [Ker] Yeah, it does a bit.

[Ker] Yeah, it does a bit.

Ooh. [laughing]

With your symptoms being on the left,

there's a high possibility, based on your assessment,

that your disc protrusion, or disc bulge, is on the left.

We can give you... Definitely give you some exercises.

If you've done that for ten days, two weeks, I think you'd be back in a position

where you'd be safe to start running again and gradually build it up.

[Mulholland]

I'll do it. It's just a question of how horrendous it's gonna be on the day.

[Ker] Running this marathon has been illuminating,

[Ker] Running this marathon has been illuminating, because it's made me realize

because it's made me realize

that I completely abused my body for 41 years.

I'd like to think it's extended my life in some degree,

but then should I have just not done it and died a bit earlier?

I swear, January, February, March, April, I'm gonna be a lean, mean running machine.

[Williamson] If we wanna kick off, I think we can--

[McElhenney] Yeah, let's get it going.

[Williamson] Purpose of the call is to talk a bit about

the state of the women's program here.

I think it might be helpful to start off first with Gemma.

If you can kind of recap where we are at this stage.

I'll start with probably what has been

one of the most difficult starts to the season that I think we've had.

- [♪ sad piano tune plays] - [crowd cheering]

[Owen] Yeah, it's a difficult start to the season.

[Griffiths] It's in! Oh, my word!

[Owen] We've played well and lost.

[Griffiths] And Wrexham will be so disappointed.

Cook, tight angle. Craven comes out and Cook finishes.

However, we entered the Welsh Cup.

[Griffiths] That is a really good job done by Wrexham.

Dominated from start to finish.

We then had, um, two very, very good results.

What a good professional performance by Wrexham. Well-deserved. Double figures.

That, you know, allowed us to turn the season around.

It felt like we were just getting kicked while we were down.

And we've lifted each other up over the last two games.

And that's what playing for Wrexham's all about,

being resilient and picking ourselves up when things aren't going our way.

being resilient and picking ourselves up when things aren't going our way. And to do that against the other team in North Wales is something special.

And to do that against the other team in North Wales is something special.

So, you know, all of these are reminding our players why they're here,

what they're here to do, how good they are.

What do you think, Gemma, you're going to need in the short term and the long term

to build the best women's team in the world?

I think the two biggest things for us at the moment

would be the facility and the academy.

We currently run a development center.

Open up, 70 to 80. Good.

[Owen] What we would like to do is move that into

a more professionalized environment.

At the moment, we don't have what we would call a home.

We have been looking and are getting very close to purchasing The Rock.

That's something that's going to be, I hope, very beneficial to the club.

[Owen] It is the next step we need to take to be able to progress.

Being able to have a base would allow us to create an academy

where players solely play for Wrexham Football Club.

[Reynolds] The ultimate goal here,

whether we're talking about the monetary investment,

the emotional investment, which I think both are of equal import,

is that we want to create that same sustainability model

that we have for the men's team for the women's team as well.

So we're gonna need to buckle down and find ways

to make sure that this is something that is evergreen

and something that we can grow.

And certainly, finding a home... [chuckles]

...is gonna be first and foremost on the list, I imagine.

[McElhenney] It's so exciting.

I know it's just a huge part of the endeavor from the very beginning.

That gives us the opportunity to make it sustainable

and make it a club that can compete on the world stage.

This is fantastic. Thank you. Thank you both.

Thanks, guys.

- Thank you. See you soon. - Thanks.

[blows whistle] Play, one.

My name is Gareth Owen.

My wife, Gemma Owen, she's the women's operational manager.

I say try and play it across them if you can, girls. Here you go.

Gemma employed me to run the 19s team. We both love the club passionately.

Press, yellows, go on, press.

Back in the day, I was a Wrexham midfielder

who played nigh on 500 times for the club.

[commentator 4] Drives one. And he's got it. What a cracker.

He was a hero of mine growing up.

Eleven, 12, when I walked into the stadium to see Gareth Owen bursting from the box

and putting one in the top corner.

They're memories that I will take to a grave.

[commentator 4] And a chance and a goal for Gareth Owen.

'92, '93, I think it was...

Yeah, that year for me was the best year of my career.

That year, we went on to League Two.

[commentator 4] Wrexham supporters delighted. Their team are promoted.

[Gareth] It's certainly an honor for me to represent a club that I love.

A serious case of unbelievem... "unbelievement." [chuckles]

It's very difficult for me to put into words,

especially in my condition now.

I suffered an ischemic stroke.

It leaded me to Walton Hospital to undergo a thrombectomy.

Fortunately for me,

I made it only within ten minutes of the four-hour window that I needed

to undergo the operation.

[Owen] As soon as I walked in, I knew there was a problem.

[Owen] As soon as I walked in, I knew there was a problem. You were slumped on the sofa.

You were slumped on the sofa.

When they took you for the MRI,

they could see that the clot was completely blocking the main artery

in the left side of the brain.

They basically said at that point that if they didn't get you there in time,

you would, at best, be severely disabled.

Although it didn't take much of my memories and personality,

it took my right arm, you know.

It took my right leg, it took my voice.

Imagine lying on your bed not knowing if you're gonna talk again.

Those were dark days.

Um... And, yeah, the darkest of days that I have ever experienced in my life.

You're still you though. It's just a slightly different version.

Yeah.

You just need to give yourself that... that processing time.

Okay.

You just... You say okay, but you don't really... [laughs]

[Gareth laughs]

[Gareth] Gemma saved my life, so I can't even begin to express my thanks to her.

[interviewer] When you started coaching again, what did it mean to you?

It meant the world.

The way he thinks and sees football is just ahead of everybody else.

[Gareth] I feel like they had my back. That makes me emotional.

It's been incredible to see him be so determined

and just transform over the season and grow back in his confidence.

I couldn't have done it without the fantastic support.

[Burke] It's night and day, the progress he's made,

and I think he's an inspiration for the hard work he puts in

to get to where he is now.

I keep reminding myself daily,

"You got to fight on, you've got to be there for the girls."

Every day, I feel that I'm getting better, so I've got to fight on.

[Jones] If you wanted one player that would give his all,

put his body on the line, never give up, it was Gareth Owen.

You know, he never ever gave up.

It's gonna take a lot more than that illness just to put Gareth Owen down.

Never say die. He was built to last.

Only 1% of stroke sufferers live for 20 years or so.

I plan to be outside that 1% and live for 30 years at least.

You go arse over tit down these stairs now, while you're being filmed,

that would actually be quite funny.

[both laughing]

[Gareth] Yeah, bring it on.

- Bring yourself to Wrexham. - Up the town.

That's where we are.

That's where we are. Get yourself down here. Enjoy.

Get yourself down here. Enjoy.

[cameraman] Over there, love.

Here you are, my mate. 6.40 please, pal.

I've been at The Turf since 2008.

I felt at that time it was probably right to maybe put some roots down.

Home is where the heart is, and, yeah, it felt like the right opportunity.

I borrowed every penny my mum and dad could afford to lend me

and here I am 17 years later.

They have an approximate date of around 1840.

It's very well-documented,

and a lot of people know that The Turf is the birthplace of the football club.

They used to run out of the changing rooms at the end of the building.

So, yeah, it's coming up to its 200th birthday. An incredible history.

And if you just walk around the building,

you will see the achievements of the football team over the years

and also some heartbreak.

Life's tough, isn't it, sometimes? So, they come here.

- How are you? Nice to meet you. - Very, very excited to be here.

They have a couple of beers with their mates.

They laugh, they joke, they sing. Sometimes they cry.

A pub is the heartbeat of the community, and I think that's exactly what we are.

One thing in life that you can't buy.

So, you can have all the money in the world,

but you can't buy memories, can you?

This building, it's just absolutely littered with good memories for people.

Come on, Wales.

Come on!

When we go, which we will,

When we go, which we will, this remarkable and wonderful historic building will still be here.

this remarkable and wonderful historic building will still be here.

Future generations will get to watch Wrexham

at the highest possible level of football,

still drinking in The Turf, like their father did,

their grandfather did and their father before them.

It's here for the long term.

Come on in, guys.

[fans laughing, cheering]

- Who are we? - Who are we?

Wrexham.

So going into the Peterborough game, you know,

at the end of this busy festive period,

we know we can get up to second if we are successful and win today.

[Griffiths] Happy New Year, everybody.

We'll be bringing you Wrexham against Peterborough United.

A very, very young team.

[Harvey] Our games against Peterborough just show the extremes.

You've got Peterborough with a young squad, probably average age of 23,

and you've got Wrexham with an average age of 27, 28.

Young players are inconsistent.

And if you get a young team on the wrong day,

that's the day that shocks happen.

So that's why young inexperienced teams should always be feared.

[Fletcher]

[Griffiths] Phil Parkinson gets a special round of applause

because it's his thousandth match, of course, as a manager.

A remarkable feat when a manager achieves that length of longevity.

Peterborough game was a personal milestone for myself,

getting to a thousand games,

and, yeah, it's been some journey, and something I'm very proud of.

[Griffiths] Arthur Okonkwo back in goal.

Wrexham get things going then.

- Go, Wrexham! - Go, Wrexham!

There's nobody on that pitch from Peterborough who is older than 24.

[commentator 3] They are vibrant. They are energetic.

[Griffiths] But the corner's given.

Sweeping it under the bar!

It's somehow not gone in.

Hey! What?

[Griffiths] And that's the last action of a somewhat drab half.

[commentator 3] Wrexham haven't really given the fans anything to get on about

at the moment.

There's just a little lack of intensity, any tempo.

Just think somebody needs to give us a little bit of a spark maybe.

[Parkinson] Yeah, let's go.

[Griffiths] And Fletcher is gonna come on.

[stadium announcer over PA] Number 26, Steven Fletcher.

[Griffiths] The substitute supreme who became the first Wrexham player

to score three goals in consecutive home matches as a substitute,

aiming, I'm sure, to get a run

and see whether he can make that four out of four home games.

Come on, Fletch.

Nice ball inside to Revan, but his pass is blocked.

Andrew Cannon gets there, back-heels it.

Revan, rips a long-range... Ah, just wide!

Well, certainly Wrexham's best effort of the game, that.

Yeah, the Wrexham fans are starting to get a little fractious.

Wrexham!

Wrexham! Into the last minute.

Into the last minute.

Rathbone, on the left, taking on his man.

Cuts around the outside.

Left-footed cross is a good shape. Fletcher heads it.

- [crowd roars] - Yes!

Four in a row!

Fletcher rips his shirt off and throws it in the air,

and Fletcher does that Fletcher thing that he does.

[fans] Oh, there's no one better than Steven Fletcher!

Not even Cristiano!

- [cheering] - [whistle blows]

[Griffiths] And there is the final whistle.

And Steven Fletcher works his magic again.

Steven Fletcher. Get it!

[Harvey] Although we won against Peterborough,

all Wycombe needed was a draw to stay ahead.

And so we remained in third.

[Parkin] Clean sheet, fucking big moments, big moments, Fletch.

And it's a fucking hard shift, playing four games in 12 days, whatever it is.

To come out with nine points is fucking massive.

And in the modern-day game,

to achieve a thousand fucking games is a remarkable fucking effort,

and I've got nothing but admiration for you, so fucking well done.

- Well done. Well done. There you go. - [Parkinson] Thank you.

[Jones] The experienced players, your Fletchers,

your McCleans and your Mark Howards of the world.

Parky picks these players. He picks them well, doesn't he?

He knows that, yes, you need youth, you need real quality,

but you also need experience, and I think he's got the balance perfect.

It's made me realize how much I do miss playing every week,

and I'm not ready to throw the towel in yet and retire.

I still got loads of games left in me.

What's hard to do is to keep pushing forward

and not look at failure as a reflection of your self-worth.

and not look at failure as a reflection of your self-worth. Yeah, none of those guys quit.

Yeah, none of those guys quit.

[McElhenney] And that just shows a sense of resilience and perseverance

that you have to have in this sport.

That could be the key to longevity.

Yes, exactly. Thank you very much.

[journalist] Steven, in this stage of your career,

do you feel that you relish these moments a little bit more?

[fans chanting]

And I'm gonna read you Channing's text to me on the night in question.

This is just what I got here.

"Oops, I might have had too much fun with the boys."

Long pause. Then I get,

"We definitely got way more loose than I was ever planning to."

"It happened, and I'm sorry."

"What happened?" I get this back.

"It's definitely gonna be on the Internet."

Fucking Magic Mike!