All language subtitles for Welcome.To.Wrexham.S04E05.1080p.WEB.H264-SuccessfulCrab.Hi

I am shooting Deadpool

with my buddy Rob McElhenney
playing a super secret cameo.

And, uh

Deadpool & Wolverine.
You're in that movie?

-No!
-[laughing]

[chuckling] I was
until Ryan cut me out.

[screeching]

[McElhenney] Oh, God, please.

The scene he was in, we cut
out then we put back in, and we

I was trying for weeks to
find a way just to keep

[Reynolds as Deadpool] Don't
worry about a thing. I got you!

[McElhenney] Don't
leave me, please!

And at the end, my
my editor was like,

"You're just keeping this
whole sequence - [laughing]

because Rob's in it.
It's not working."

I got you into this mess,
I'm gonna get you...

-[McElhenney screams]
-OMG!

They had a They gave me
an intervention over you.

They were like, "It's just
it's not we got to move."

At this point in
my life and career,

the story of me
being cut out of it

is funnier and more interesting
than me being in it.

Was your first film The Devil's
Own, and you were cut out of it?

That is correct. I have been cut
out - That's gotta be devastating.

-Ugh. Devastating.
-[laughing]

No, I can look back on
it now and it's funny,

but it was not
funny at the time.

The Devil's Own was, like, my first
job, and I did a scene with Brad Pitt,

a scene with Harrison
Ford, Julia Stiles.

And I invited all of my friends
and family to the screening.

I had been telling people for
months that I was in this movie,

and, uh, and then I just wasn't.

So, that was humiliating
and terrible.

It puts you into a dark place
'cause you just feel like a failure.

And then it happened again!

I was cut from seemingly
everything I did

for the first, uh, five to
seven years of my career.

Bye.

[McElhenney] Getting cut in competitive
fields, that's part of the deal.

That happens all the
time at a football club

because they believe that you're
not the best fit for that team.

You can't help but
internalize that and think,

"Well, maybe it's about me."

But sometimes it's about them, and
everybody knows it going into it,

but it doesn't make it any less
painful when it happens to you.

Sometimes the world's the problem, not
you, and you gotta pick yourself up

and put them in your
rearview mirror and

and find the place
where you will shine.

[shop owner] Obviously the club is on
a heck of a positive journey, you know,

and people are saying about some
players not performing well.

We're third in the table, so they
must be doing something right.

-[American accent] Just taking a look.
-[Clarke] Where you from, mate?

-California.
-[Clarke] Ah! Brilliant.

Welcome to Wrexham,
as the the phrase is.

Um, asking what I think of our
strikers not scoring any goals.

[customer] Oh, yeah.

[all shouting] Wrexham!

[Griffiths] Wrexham not
making opportunities.

[Gilpin] Mullin and Palmer increasingly
don't look much of a goal threat.

We keep saying that Palmer
grinds down the defense

and sort of gets them ready
for a Fletcher onslaught.

[fans chanting] There's nobody
better than Steven Fletcher!

That's fine if you don't concede

[chuckling] but there will
be games where we do concede.

We do need our starting strikers
to have a genuine goal threat.

[fan] Fletcher then comes on for 20,
15 minutes at the end, and is scoring,

so why can't the strikers who
are playing 75, 80 minutes

get the same results really?

[fans groan]

And what do we need?

-Another striker. A backup.
-At least one other striker. Yeah.

[fan] We can't win 1-nil, we've
gotta be winning 2 or 3-nil.

♪ 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 ♪

[chanting, whistling]

[Griffiths] Welcome to a huge derby.
Wrexham visiting Shrewsbury Town.

[chanting continues]

[Griffiths] A massive game
for both teams, of course.

Wrexham, pushing for a promotion,
with a win would go top today.

Shrewsbury looking to
rejuvenate their season

and pull away from
the relegation zone.

Parkinson has said
goodbye to his old lineup

with Mullin and Palmer
both on the bench,

but we all say a fond
hello to Elliot Lee,

who's back from injury.

He's playing off Steven Fletcher, making
his second league start of the season.

[Roberts] Steven Fletcher, I
mean, delighted to see him start.

I think he's been knocking at that door
for pretty much most of the season now

with the goals he's getting
when he comes off that bench.

[Griffiths] I'd like to see a little bit
more service to the feet of Fletcher.

I'd like to see us giving him a chance
to use that technique and bring them in.

Ooh, there's an opportunity
here for Shrewsbury!

The ball drops loose,
Marquis in the box! Scores!

[fans cheering]

That's a great piece of play by
Marquis after an error at the back.

And Shrewsbury take the lead. Let's
see how Wrexham respond to that.

Cannon now has got an
option out wide. Barnett.

This time he's got a chance maybe to
run at Benning before he gets support.

Gets around the outside,
sweeps into the far post

Fletcher!

-Scores!
-[all cheering]

Wrexham equalize, and
Fletcher, in his town of birth,

scores and keeps his
remarkable run going.

[commentator] Steven Fletcher in the
form that he's in, we're back to 1-1.

-[all shout] Wrexham!
-[Griffiths] It's a proper derby match.

[commentator] The
noise is brilliant.

There's nobody better
than Steven Fletcher!

[commentator] And they
know how important it is.

After getting the goal back,

we felt like we'd get the momentum
and go on and win the game.

[Griffiths] Second half, it's Castledine
working it wide, goes for the return pass,

but Matty James did
well, tracked his run

and is back there and calmly to
O'Connell who runs into trouble.

-He's fouled surely.
-[whistle blows]

[Griffiths] The ref's
given a penalty. Hang on.

Oh.

What a mess O'Connell
made of that one.

[Roberts] It's a
pen all day long.

[Griffiths] Yeah. It's a penalty
and here is Marquis to take it.

He steps up now and
it's saved by Okonkwo!

-But the rebound is in!
-[fans cheering]

[Griffiths] Wrexham shot themselves in the
foot with the concession of that penalty

and have got to come
back all over again.

An awful way to start
the second half.

That was That was disappointing.

[Griffiths] Plenty of firepower
on the bench for Parkinson,

but Wrexham need to get
straight back at it.

Straight from the restart, McClean,
in front of the fans who are booing,

and feeds it forward over
the edge of the area.

Good defending again by
Hoole, blocks his cross.

Throw to Wrexham, ten yards out.

I am genuinely surprised that they're
allowing so many people to amass there

to have a go at McClean,
I've got to be honest.

I mean Something is
thrown at him there.

[Roberts] I know it's a derby,
I know it can get heated,

but you never want to
see things like that.

[booing continues]

[Griffiths] And Mullin
coming on for Andy Cannon.

I mean, we've got to do something like
this. Fletcher gets a partner now.

[fans chanting] We've
got super Mullin!

[Griffiths] Lee
looks for Rathbone.

Lucky ricochet falls for Mullin,
who tries, but well over.

[commentator] Yeah, I don't think Wrexham
have really deserved to win this game.

-[Griffiths] No.
-Can we make something different

because we're just going in
and being so predictable.

[podcaster] The open joke is, we're third
in the table and we don't score goals.

If we could go and get someone,
this window, a lethal striker,

someone who is too good for this
level, break the budget, just do it,

because the reward there
is Championship football.

[Ker] The January
transfer window

[fan] The chances are,
we might slip down a bit.

Realistically, we're
gonna lose some games.

Yeah.

-You can't win every game.
-[Birrell] No.

-Even Man City lose occasionally.
-Well, occasionally.

We'd have given anything

-to be mid table, wouldn't we?
-[Birrell] Yeah. Yeah.

To stay in this division.

-Consolidate. That was the word.
-Consolidate was the word.

-Everybody was saying, "Consolidate."
-[Valentine] "Consolidate."

But now, we've been spoiled
because we're doing so well.

-Now it's, "Yeah, we want promotion."
-It's expectation now.

-"We could get promotion."
-Yeah, the weight of expectation.

Yeah, but Dad said

I mean, Dad said with these fellas
in charge, anything's possible.

Anything's poss Yeah.

He could see us going straight up to
the Premier, Dad could, with these,

-so I can't see why not.
-Yeah.

It was a shame that Dad
didn't live long enough

to see us play that first
game back in this league.

-[Valentine] I know.
-Yeah.

[Birrell] Oof. [stammers] Yeah.

[sighs, sniffles]

Dear me.

My granddad sadly passed
away, a hundred years old,

and season ticket holder from,

I think he was nine years old
when he started watching Wrexham.

Fans actually lined the
streets the day of his funeral.

They gave him a
perfect send-off.

-He absolutely adored the football club.
-[fans applauding]

-[Birrell] He touched so many people.
-[Valentine] Yeah.

All over the world. And people
said "thank you" for that.

They said, "Thank you
for sharing him with us."

Yeah.

[McElhenney] We're not guaranteed
anything except that, at some point,

we're all going to die and
that the people around us,

people we love, uh, we're going
to have to say goodbye to.

Arthur Massey, this
is for you. Thank you.

[McElhenney] For as
painful as it is, uh,

when I think about him, mostly I feel
gratitude that I got to meet him,

to spend time with him and
his family and to understand

So nice to see you.
Happy St. David's Day.

What Wrexham meant to him

-as an organization and as a town.
-[fans cheering]

But, more importantly, what
he meant to the organization

and will continue to.

We invite all supporters to join in a
minute's applause for Arthur Massey.

Our oldest supporter has
passed away aged one hundred.

[applause]

♪ Be still and know
That I'm with you ♪

♪ Be still, be still and know ♪

[Jones] His legacy
sort of lives on.

Every time that I
go to the game now,

I have a look up at
his seat as well.

So, he'll always be at the
football club, in my opinion.

[applauding continues]

♪ If you forget the way to go ♪

[McElhenney] Saying goodbye
and loss is a part of life,

and Arthur's life will always be a part
of this club's history and of its future.

He's one of the reasons that the
world has fallen in love with Wrexham,

and we will honor him forever.

♪ Be still, be still and know ♪

[Valentine] I like to think he's still
watching, he's just in a different place.

[Birrell] Yes. Best
seat in the stadium.

Best seat in the stadium. Yeah.

But, you know, he's passed
the baton on to us, hasn't he?

Yeah. And we have to pass it on.
You know, Wrexham fans will go on.

They'll go on forever. Going
from generation to generation.

[Jones] This is the newest
addition to the family.

-[coughing]
-Oh, no.

♪ If no one Is
standing beside you ♪

[Massey] I guess you could say I'm
a Wrexham boy through and through.

♪ Be still and know I am ♪

t game of the season.

Birmingham gave us a bit
of a lesson at their place,

so hopefully tonight we can show
them what we're actually made of.

Up the town.

-This league is ours.
-[fan 2] It's gonna be a tight game today.

Would you play Mullin or Marriott today
because Marriott's back now, isn't he?

You can see Mullin's fuming.
He's fuming with himself.

His name is Tom Wagner.
Show some respect.

Who's Tom Wagner?

[Wagner] Thought it'd be a nice
gesture to buy everyone a round

and demonstrate that it's
really more than just about,

you know, one team versus the other, but
really the culture of British football,

and that's what we're
trying to represent.

We love each other, but
hate each other tonight.

[McElhenney] We're here
to watch a football match,

with the Red Dragons against Tom Brady
and Tom Wagner's evil Birmingham,

whatever they are. Blues?

It's gonna be a
really tough game,

but I'd like to believe that
we're gonna come out victorious.

[fans chanting]

[Griffiths] Welcome to Wrexham.

Wrexham at home to Birmingham City, third
against first, the light show begins.

A win here tonight and Wrexham will be
just two points behind the league leaders.

Come on, let's give 'em
a Wrexham fucking night.

[Griffiths] Ollie Rathbone,
who's new in this season,

and has been making a
huge impact for us so far,

starts in midfield and Ollie Palmer
returns to the starting lineup.

Come on, you reds!

[Griffiths] And
Birmingham kick off.

[fans chanting]
Wrexham! Wrexham!

[Griffiths] Wrexham
fans are in good voice.

Birmingham, they're moving the ball
around confidently, looking good,

and it's gonna be very interesting
how Wrexham cope with that.

Can't pick out May.

Hurried pass for O'Connor,
doesn't find Palmer.

Now Wrexham looking to
break from the back.

Good challenge, wins it, and
Rathbone can hit this. He curls it!

-[shrieks] What a goal!
-[fans cheering]

[McElhenney] Yes!
Rathbone! Ollie!

[Griffiths] That is
an absolute screamer!

I mean, you could see from the very
start that Rathbone was a player

who was going to be
showing terrific energy,

but he has a bit of quality that
does raise him up a bit of a level.

For me, he looks like a Championship
player who's playing at this level.

[commentator] I don't think he has a
bit of quality, I think he has a lot.

[all] Wrexham!

What a goal.

At the game that I went to in
Birmingham, it was the ninth minute

where we scored the first goal, and
then they came back and smashed us.

[Griffiths] Birmingham get a corner.
Ball over the top looking to the far post

There's a free header. It's in.

[Olsen] No!

-[Griffiths] 1-1. Very, very simple.
-[commentator] Fucking hell!

Come on, boys.

[Griffiths] Ruby slippers invoking the
spirit of the patron saint of lost causes,

Taylor Swift, and saying
"Shake it off, Reds.

You've got plenty of time."

As Palmer is wrestled
around. Ref doesn't give it.

Lee is trying to hold it up
on the left flank, falls over,

and the ref gives that one.

Hallelujah.

There we go.

[Griffiths] O'Connor whips
the ball in to the far post

-and a chance for a shot for Rathbone!
-[fans cheer, groan]

-[Griffiths] Rathbone puts it just over.
-Oh, my God.

[Griffiths] Halftime whistle then
goes, and we've given as good

as we've got against a
strong Birmingham side.

My name is Ollie Rathbone, and I
play for Wrexham Football Club.

Grew up in Blackburn.

My dad was a physio, and
he was a player himself.

My granddad as well. He was a
footballer back in the '50s,

so mad football family.

Ever since I can remember, it was always
a ball at my feet. It was my life.

[Griffiths] Can Rathbone do something?
Carries to the edge of the box.

-Left-footed strike!
-[fans cheering]

[Griffiths] Ollie
Rathbone with a screamer!

[Rathbone] I played at Manchester
United until I was, like, 14.

When a lot of lads started to grow
and started to develop, I just didn't,

so it kind of meant I couldn't
compete in my own age group there.

I'd wanted to play
first-team football,

so I signed for
Rochdale in League One.

I was a really late developer,

so I always felt that I had
to do more than everyone else,

which is something I think
I still carry with me today.

Played preseason friendly
against Rotherham,

and they put a bid in
for me the next day.

And a week later, I was
at Rotherham United.

[fans cheering]

First year, got promoted automatically
out of League One to the Championship.

Then, unfortunately, in the third year,
the division was just too tough for us,

and we ended up getting
relegated back to League One.

My dad's career was
kind of plagued,

and he regrets he
didn't enjoy it enough,

so he insists that I just have
to enjoy it as much as I can.

You've got, like,
such a short career

that you wanna maximize
it as much as you can.

My agent said, "You have a call with Phil,
and I think they might be interested."

And you want to feel like you're
involved in something special.

New record fee to sign Rathbone

That's what really
attracted me there.

[producer] What's it like, first of
all, going into a new dressing room?

Uh, difficult.

Head up to the gym.

Look at this. Wow.

I saw straightaway it was
such a tight-knit group

that have achieved so much together,
so I was very eager to impress.

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

And then he's got two men now by
two in the middle, pulls it back.

-Fletcher!
-[all cheering]

[Griffiths] Rathbone
tees up Steven Fletcher.

[Parkin] Ollie fucking
Rathbone. Wowser!

Ollie Rathbone's been an
absolute genius this season.

[Griffiths] The ball's swept
into the crowd and it's there!

Ollie Rathbone!

Not only on the pitch, off the
pitch, he's been a great addition.

Steven Fletcher if
anyone knows him.

That's my mate, Jurassic
Mark, as we call him.

[Lee] He sums up
what we're about.

-He doesn't normally do this.
-[laughs]

We're a team of hardworking lads trying
to achieve success for this great club.

[Griffiths] Welcome back to Wrexham
against Birmingham. Great run by Rathbone.

Birmingham are on the ropes,
they're reeling here, aren't they?

They can't get the ball off us.

[Rathbone] I'm here to make a
mark and be part of this journey

and hopefully be remembered.

The only thing that
really matters is

that you enjoy where you are,
and at Wrexham, I've felt that.

[Griffiths] Forward to Rathbone
who rips it in the box.

And, wow, one all, the final
score. Brilliant stuff.

All right. I'll take it.

[commentator] That
is not a bad result

to take a point from such a
strong side in this division.

We're only one win away from
an automatic promotion spot.

Next few matches against
lower-ranked teams as well.

But who knows
what's gonna happen?

[fans chanting] Ollie Rathbone!

[Parkinson] The striker dile

We're getting to the point
where we've gotta put bids in.

-It's January. You're gonna overpay a bit.
-Yeah.

If you bring in a
35-year-old striker,

36-year-old striker, that
might help with the now.

You maybe pay a lot of
money, but in the future,

there really isn't anything
there to go forward.

If you bring in a 25-year-old striker,
it's gonna cost a lot of money.

And, honestly, for the now,

there's probably, you know,
limited upside to some extent.

You know, Phil, it'll take
six months before they get,

you know, kind of situated with the whole
environment that we have around here.

So try to find
something in between.

-Yeah, it's never easy.
-No.

It's so difficult.

People never understand
how hard it is

to get a player to
improve what you've got.

The player we bring in has gotta be
significantly better than one we've got.

And that hierarchy
in the dressing room,

we've gotta make sure we
keep the status quo in there.

It seems like it keeps getting
more and more expensive.

That's the problem.

[Griffiths] Since the last
season, I've retired as a teacher.

Get up at 8:00,
have a nice coffee.

Put on the TV,
play with the cats.

Huh? That's right.

But being retired is lovely.
I'm getting used to it.

I've always been really good at
lounging around and appearing busy,

and now I feel like I've
found that perfect arena

to really express those skills.

I love teaching, but when people
say, "Do I miss teaching?"

[chattering]

[chuckling] No, I
do not miss working.

My long-suffering wife, it's much
worse for her now that I'm at home.

I'm realizing how much of my energy
I got out when I was teaching.

I was an annoying
guy on the corridors,

and now I'm just an annoying
guy around the house.

I'm retired. Enjoy
school tomorrow.

Mark

-Oh, yes.
-[teacher] Harsh.

So because I'm retired,

my intention at the start of the
season was I would cover every game.

You'd have to drag me out of
there kicking and screaming

to stop me doing this.

He takes the back pass, you
know, he'll get that first.

-Oh! What a goal!
-[all cheer]

[Griffiths] It's exciting to be able to just
focus on doing stuff for the football club

and sit around the house thinking
about football all the time,

which makes me a top husband.

-[Griffiths] Wait for me.
-[giggles]

[Griffiths] When I was working, there
was always a voice in the back of my head

saying I resent having to work.
I want to spend time with her.

I annoy her because I
can be borderline clingy.

Emma would cut the
"borderline" out that sentence.

[Griffiths] I love you.
You're all right, you are.

You're gonna make me
all shy now. [chuckles]

[Griffiths] Saying
goodbye to teaching

has given me the chance to
say hello again to my wife.

[Emma] Those are
nice pieces, eh?

That looks like a piece of a
tile or something, doesn't it?

[Griffiths] Hello, welcome
to the SToK Cae Ras.

Wrexham against the Stevenage side who
have toiled for goals away from home.

-Where's Stevenage now? 15?
-Yeah, 15.

And Wrexham at third.

Come on, Wrexham!

[Griffiths] Stevenage have only
scored four away goals all season,

and Wrexham are
unbeaten at home.

You would hope
this is a home win.

[Roberts] You'd
absolutely hope so.

[Griffiths] And it's
a good pass as well,

and now Kemp is bursting
through, three-on-two breakaway.

Plays a nice ball to Roberts. First time
finish, Okonkwo saves. The rebound's in!

Stevenage take the lead.

[Roberts] Arthur might be a little bit
disappointed to parry it where he does,

but Dan Kemp just reacts
quicker and deserves that goal.

[Griffiths] Wrexham go
behind at the Racecourse.

[Roberts] Really
disappointing from Wrexham

who just really haven't
come out the blocks at all,

like we did last week
against Birmingham.

[Griffiths] And
hits a shot. 2-nil!

[cheering]

-[seat thumps]
-[Griffiths] Oh, goodness me.

They just scored half the away goals
they've scored all season in 18 minutes.

[Roberts] We've got a real
battle on our hands now.

[Parkinson] We got overpowered
a bit in that first half,

and when we didn't find
solutions to the problems,

it was a case of keep going.

-[Griffiths] The crowd are fractious here.
-Fuck off!

[Roberts] You know, you've got
to overcome games like this

if you want to be
up there in those

in those automatics or
even playoff positions.

So, a real big test for Wrexham, see
what they're made of, especially at home.

[Griffiths] Wrexham
needs to step this up.

[whistle blows]

[McClean] That's
as bad as it gets.

From one to eleven, that's
as bad as it fucking gets.

Fucking Kemp playing
like he's fucking Messi.

I'm fucking stunned
really, boys.

We've lost every fucking
header, every second ball.

Showed no fucking courage to
play. I mean, fucking hell.

But the great thing
about football is,

there's forty fucking nine
minutes to put it right.

Do you know what I mean? That's
what football's all about.

The crowd are booing.
Fantastic, well done.

I love nights like this 'cause
we're gonna fucking turn it around.

Gonna turn it around by
fucking playing properly

and showing some
fucking courage.

Mulls, Fletch, come on, boys, great
challenge for us. Let's turn it round.

I made changes to get back in
it, which is rare for me to do.

Because, I think, if you've
picked the 11 you've gone with,

and give them another 15
minutes to try and rectify it.

[Griffiths] Fletcher and Mullin
come on to a tremendous welcome

from the Wrexham fans.

[Parkinson] But I felt that we needed
to quickly respond within the game.

At halftime, when the gaffer
told us we were going on,

I was desperate to get back on the
pitch and try and score a goal.

[Griffiths] Mullin fighting,
and the crowd love that.

It's a corner. Lee whips it
in, knocked down by Fletcher.

Rathbone. Shot comes
in. It's there!

-We're back in this match.
-[fans] Wrexham!

It took a deflection, but I
managed to just help it on.

We looked like we were gonna
be the team who were, you know,

gonna go on and get back
into it and win the game.

[Griffiths] Mullin's picked up
a loose ball, driving forwards.

Can he find something?

Hits it from the edge
of the box. Just over.

[fans groan]

Gotta lock it in!

[Griffiths] And now he's taking
on Scarr on the right-hand side,

fills it inside nicely.

Danger here, pulled back to Young.
Great checkout, and he scores.

Wow, this is something.

[Mullin] It's quite
difficult to take,

especially when the fans
are right behind us,

and I think that was just
a stark reminder for us

how we always need to be
a hundred percent at it.

[Parkinson] It was quite a
disappointing performance.

It was a shock to the system.

Parky was fuming,
the fans were fuming.

Not something we're
used to, losing at home.

[Griffiths] Well, they've given it a good
go, but too little too late, ultimately.

Wrexham lose at home for
the first time this season.

That was probably one of the worst
first half performances we've had

since we've been here.

A bit of soul searching to
do, I think, boys. For us all.

We've always said to you,
since ever we've been here,

"Earn the right to
play." Earn the right.

We didn't earn
the right tonight.

We didn't earn the right,
and that's why they've won.

[podcaster 1] How we didn't score
another goal, I'll never know.

[podcaster 2] For the
first time ever, really,

I'm seriously questioning the
sort of decisions that are made...

[podcaster 1] By Parkinson?

[podcaster 2] Yeah, he's got a
massive problem to solve now.

Everybody can see we've
got no goal threat.

Parky will live and
die by his decisions.

If he's playing players
who are not performing,

we'll lose games and eventually,
you know, he could pay the price.

I really thought we would
have strikers in by now.

I've got to look
closely at myself

because I take full
responsibility for that

and make sure we pick a team which is
gonna fight tooth and nail for the badge.

[Gilpin] You'd better get a move on
'cause you haven't got much time left

before transfer
window slams shut.

[Gilpin] Yep, we may have said goodbye
to our long-standing unbeaten hom

but you know what? We've also got
reason to say hello, haven't we?

Twenty-four days into the
January transfer window

and Wrexham Football Club have finally
got our first signing across the line.

Hull City's midfielder
Ryan Longman on a deal

until the end of
the '26-'27 season.

[Gilpin] Can you
give us the lowdown?

He's played as a striker,
he's played as a wingback.

[commentator] And Ryan
Longman scores for Hull City!

[Gilpin] At the age of 24,

he's already got over a hundred
Championship games under his belt.

[Longman] We'll see what happens, but
I'm happy we've gotten in over the line.

[Parkinson] Love it. Good.

The results during January, the
defeat at Shrewsbury in particular,

as well as we played
against Birmingham,

that was five points
dropped out of six.

We couldn't afford to lose
contact with the teams at the top.

We have a very,
very tight window.

It's going to be
a large price tag,

but we need a proven
goal scorer at this level

to be able to continue
this push for promotion.

It's a far cry from where we were 5 years
ago, when the odd decent player we had,

you were sort of pacing around
the house or the pub thinking,

"I hope nobody comes in for him because
we can't afford to keep hold of him."

To be able to be in a position
now where it's completely reversed

and we are the club
looking to maybe snatch

an absolute class player
from somebody else

Anything can happen on the last
day of the transfer window.

[Cleworth] Our wish has been
granted in the last 48 hours

of the January transfer window.

Wrexham Football Club
have signed a striker.

We're talking about Sam Smith.

[McElhenney chuckling] Oh!
Not that Sam Smith. This one.

[camera shutter clicks]

Sam Smith is a player I
wanted Wrexham to sign

from Reading, fellow League One
side, for a reported £2 million,

which has completely smashed
the club's record transfer fee.

Wow, I mean, what
a signing that is.

He's in great form, he's
banging goals in at this level.

He's big and strong, he can do the
Palmer-style scrapping for the ball,

but he can also the
Mullin-style smashing goals in.

We're taking him away from a club
where he is their leading goal scorer.

He's a, you know, fourth-leading
goal scorer in League One right now.

Then on top of that, to add to a
player that's had over 250 appearances

in the Premier League is
incredible to bring Jay in.

[fan] We were able to bring
in Jay Rodriguez to the squad.

[Griffiths] Rodriguez who shoots on the
turn. A fantastic strike. Jay Rodriguez.

[Griffiths] Rodriguez is just
such a clever, clever player.

He'll bring so much for us.

[Harvey] Ryan Longman to fill
that right wingback role.

Sam Smith, who was, you know, the
number one choice of a striker,

and then Jay Rodriguez

Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy.

[Harvey] who brings an
element of experience

that'll make the difference
between draws and wins,

and it's the difference between
draws and wins that will determine

how successful we
are by the end.

[Parkinson] Get yourselves
a drink. Well done.

[producer] How's your first
week been at Wrexham then, Sam?

[Smith] It's been really good.

It's a lot different to my old club,
but got a really good group of lads.

♪ And I get no pleasure
From the pain ♪

♪ You say I didn't mean it
But I feel it just the same ♪

[Smith] I've enjoyed training.

The team's done so
well for two years now

and it's difficult because
you have to prove yourself

and you have to try and
be accepted by everyone.

Especially when you come
in a January window,

your life just gets
turned upside down,

living in hotels, can't
cook, I'm big on my diet.

The hardest thing is just
coming out of your routine.

It's not ideal, but
it is what it is.

♪ Some people Have a
special kinda knack ♪

Hopefully I'm coming in
to make the squad better

and I can help to
get us promoted.

♪ It's the leader of the
pack Leader of the pack ♪

[Gilpin] So, Crawley Town away.
What do you guys think of that?

[Randall] Super Paul Mullin.
Not so super this season.

Yeah, well, we've all been talking about,
"He needed a goal. He needed a goal."

And then he hits one,
which is a joke of a goal.

I don't know what it is, whether it
is a bit of confidence, I don't know,

it just doesn't seem to
be happening for him.

[Gilpin] Is it fitness, Andy?
He's still, he's not 100% fit.

It can't be fitness by
now, you've got that,

if you've got five months, four months
under your belt of full-time training,

it can't be fitness.

Paul Mullin is absolutely tremendous,
what he's done for this club,

but if we can get promoted this
season by bringing better players,

players that are more adapted to winning
championships, now, I don't know.

[Griffiths] Wrexham against Crawley Town
with lots of changes, lots of alterations.

Okonkwo replaced in goal by Mark
Howard, but Smith and Rodriguez come in.

[fan] We've got the two
new lads straight in.

The other guys, they had,
you know, plenty of time.

Unfortunately, didn't produce,

and if we want to go up this season,
then, yeah, we need some goal scorers.

[Griffiths] No Paul Mullin. He's
having a scan on his shin this week.

[Parkinson] Mulls is the type of lad,
"I'll probably be on the bench anyway."

But, you know, I just said, "Look,
Mulls, until we get that scan tomorrow,

I don't wanna put you at risk because
we've got a lot of football to play."

It's a cruel game.

[fans chanting]

[Griffiths] Howard stands it
up and Rodriguez the target.

It drops for Barnett. Barnett
turns, takes on his man,

drives at the near post, and
Rathbone's got to the ball first,

lays it nicely back, and
Wrexham take the lead!

-Matty James's first goal for the club.
-[fans cheering]

Great start this for Wrexham then.
Ahead with a minute on the clock.

[all shout] Wrexham!

[Griffiths] Smith driving forwards,
you've got Rathbone arriving with him.

Whips a good ball in to Rathbone,
who helps it on nicely. Rodriguez

It was a great chance.
That would have been 2-nil.

-[Williams] Great run by Rodriguez.
-[Griffiths] It is a step up.

The quality of that
pass as well from Smith.

He looks kind of good, doesn't
he? [chuckles] I'm encouraged.

[Parkinson] Everyone
was looking round,

"Come on, are we gonna bring
someone in to give us a lift?"

And we've good players in the building
which are gonna be a big signing for us.

[Griffiths] Last minute.
Wrexham still lead 1-nil.

Good header by Cleworth,
keeps an eye on it well.

Ibrahim tries a long ranger.
He scored! Unbelievable strike!

[fans cheering]

[Griffiths] He must've
been a good 30 yards out.

Took it on his chest
and launched a screamer.

Howard, lunging, had no
chance. Top right corner.

And Wrexham concede
a late equalizer.

[Parkinson] The lad will never hit a
shot like that again in his career.

[Griffiths] I thought we
were gonna get a 1-nil.

[Parkinson] The wonder
goal could've deflated us,

but this week has been a good week
for us in the transfer market,

and football is about
big moments of quality.

[Griffiths] Thirty seconds
left of added time,

and Wrexham, who looked so
bright in the first half,

are digging in to
get a point here.

That's a nice pass by Lee. Dobson with a
bit of space up to the edge of the area,

held up cutely by Fletcher
with a little reverse pass.

Longman stands it in,
Free header. It's in!

Wrexham win it with six seconds
left! Great delivery by Longman.

[Roberts] That's what teams
do at the top of that table.

[Williams] Huge credit
to Phil Parkinson

because he has thrown that
grenade in the changing rooms

and said, "Right, some
things need to change here."

[reporter] We've spoken about
the players you've brought in.

Will there be movement out?

[Parkinson sighs] I mean, listen,
we're just On the way back tonight,

We're just gonna have a good chat
because we've had a very hectic few days

and we'll decide where we
go in the next few days.

[member 1] We've done so well,

-back-to-back promotions.
-[member 2] Yeah.

[member 3] But we all know there's several
players there who aren't gonna be with us.

Yeah, players that have done
good service for the club,

but they're just not
going to feature.

[Harvey] In the transfer
window, a decision was made

to release James Jones
and Anthony Forde.

When you've got a big squad,

that means players who have been part
of the club for a long period of time,

need to leave to continue
to play football.

So, there's a natural
ceiling that players get to,

and that ceiling is reached
quicker the better you do.

There's bound to be players who
are part of that absolute legacy

who are gonna fall
by the wayside.

[McElhenney] It's very hard because not
only do you become so close with them,

but because you ask
them to do a job

and they did that job for
you, and then they recognize

that they might be promoting
themselves out of a job.

[Howard] It's tough, but
ultimately football does go on.

New players come in and
take their position.

We have to constantly
keep adapting,

and it's hard because you make
a lot of friends in football.

[Faal] You spend time with
these players every day,

and it's always
hard to say goodbye.

That's why you
cherish every moment

and enjoy those times 'cause
things change very quickly.

[Lee] It was sad to see JJ go.

But equally, for Forde's career,
it was the best thing for him.

He needs to show what
a quality player he is.

[Jones] I've been
at Wrexham so long,

it's been all I've known for
the last three and a half years.

Only look back on it
with fond memories.

All the craziness that goes along
with being a Wrexham player.

[players chanting]

[Smith] The lads are an amazing
group and we've bonded really well,

and I think that's
showed on the pitch.

There's a lot of lads that have
made an effort with me and Laura,

always trying to help and something
I've definitely appreciated.

[Jones] The Wrexham
dream can't last forever.

It is tough, but that's kind
of what we signed up for

and everyone will
eventually go through it.

There'll be very few that hang
on all the way up to the top.

Happy that I've played a big
part in the club's history.

I'll always have
that to look back on.

[fans cheering]

[commentator] Anthony Forde.

[Griffiths] James Jones! What
a wonderful finish that was!

[member 1] We've now got legend players
to come back who achieved something.

A group of heroes for the
younger fans to look at.

I'm really sad to see
a couple of them go.

James Jones put it all
on the line for us.

Sad to see Anthony Forde move
on. He's never let us down.

[commentator] It's towards
Dalby. He's run past him.

Anthony Forde makes it six!

[Griffiths] Genuinely sad to see
James Jones and Anthony Forde go,

but it's premature to assume that
this will be the end for them though.

[Fay] Wrexham back in action
this weekend, the early kickoff

Is this, you know,
another one of those tests

where we'll get a clearer indication of
how much we did strengthen in January?

Yeah, if we come out and we
beat Northampton, happy days.

[Griffiths] Welcome
to Northampton Town.

It's a horrible day here,
just misty and rainy,

and we're about to
get things underway.

Wrexham's two new strikers, Smith and
Rodriguez, are both in the starting 11.

They showed great
potential against Crawley

in what was yet
another close win,

and they've certainly earned
themselves the start today.

With Northampton, who
are 19th in the table,

this is a great
chance for Wrexham

to stay within striking distance
of second-placed Wycombe.

Absent once again from the lineup
entirely are Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer.

Parkinson is clearly demanding

an immediate return from
his two new strikers.

They've certainly got
big boots to fill.

So it's away we go.

And immediately Smith
pops the ball backwards

and Cleworth sets himself,
stands over the top.

Smith is trying to
run in behind that,

takes it beautifully
but loses his footing.

[commentator]
What a great ball.

-[fans chanting] Wrexham!
-[commentator] Fans very loudly singing.

[Griffiths] Good
noise, isn't it?

Cleworth putting it into
midfield for Rodriguez nicely.

Smith is there first.
Dyche is with him.

Two Wrexham players arrive
in the box. He pulls it back.

Return pass is overhit though.

There's a threat. Something's
coming with those front two.

Howard over the top,

and again Smith's after this,
and Willis lets it bounce.

Smith runs onto it
in the box, hits it.

And Sam Smith has scored
his first goal for Wrexham!

[fans cheering]

[Griffiths] He took a push in
the back. It didn't bother him.

First-time, left-foot finish across
the keeper and Wrexham take the lead.

[Parkinson] That goal, it sums up
why we've had to bring in a Smith.

It's because he's mobile.

And this is no disrespect
to Ollie Palmer,

he gives us so much in that
first half of the season.

But Smith's got that little bit of pace
that when that ball does go in behind,

he's away and he's got a chance
of getting on the end of it.

Whereas Palmer would be more in a
fight, maul with the center halves.

Tremendous finish.

[all shout] Wrexham!

[Griffiths] Back into midfield.
Directs the ball back to O'Connell.

Dyche stretching. Heads it away, only
as far as Rathbone, edge of the area,

can't quite bring it down
but he keeps going Hits it!

And it's in! 2-nil!

Ollie Rathbone continues
his scoring run.

[Parkinson] 2-nil.
What a start.

Rathbone does so well. He
just smells it, doesn't he?

-Smells those timings.
-[Griffiths] Yep.

But this is certainly
encouraging,

as the Northampton fans
leave the ground in numbers.

We have dominated them
on their own patch.

And that is the final whistle.

We've been winning by the
skin of our teeth for so long.

This is the first time in 14 matches that
we've won by more than a single goal.

So goodbye, scoring droughts,
hello, Smith and Rathbone.

A great sign of things
to come for Wrexham.

[McElhenney] In football, as in life,
the only thing more constant than change

is the feeling it leaves behind.

We said goodbye to a legend
who gave us his Saturdays,

players who left it
all out on the pitch.

To lifelong careers, to roles
we thought were permanent.

And in every space that opened
up, someone else walked in.

A new voice, a new spark, a new
name on the back of a shirt.

But not every chapter
has an ending.

Some stories are
still being written.

[Edwards] What do you think is
in the future for Paul Mullin?

Because, obviously, he's
done fantastic for us,

and there is a hell
of a player there.

Is this an indication of what
is in the future for Paul Mullin

when he's so low down
the pecking order?

[Gilpin] It's strange to say that, isn't it?
Because for the last three or four years,

he's been our star man,

and you don't know what's
going on behind the scenes.

You don't know his fitness
levels. Last season we needed him

because we weren't going to
get promoted without him.

I just don't think that's
gonna happen this season

because we've got Smith, you know,
the Fletcher role is quite well-known.

[Edwards] In terms of strikers, it just
feels like we've got too many now almost.

[Gilpin] I do wonder if Mullin will
be there at the end of the season.

[Williams] So where does
that leave him, really?

[Randall] I look at him
not making even the bench

and I'm like, "Oh, yeah, thanks
for the hundred-odd goals,

but, yeah, thanks for that."

[Gilpin] I wonder if he will want to move
on and get first team action elsewhere.

[Williams] It's a weird thing to have to
say it, but ultimately you have to say it.

That's football.