All language subtitles for Welcome.to.Wrexham.S03E02.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-FLUX.en[cc]

[Lee] We are so fucking weak.
Every fucking one of us.

It's fucking shit, lads.

Fucking five goals,
four goals, three goals.

It's fucking shit.

Every single one of us.
It's fucking embarrassing.

And fouls we've conceded,
so many fucking goals at home.

Weak as fucking piss. All of us.

[Parkinson] Jacob, you've let him fucking
just cross the ball at fucking will.

Same as you, fucking Barnett.

Ollie, get across your fucking man in the
middle of the goal and score a goal.

Toz, nowhere near strong enough
for fucking headers.

Nowhere fucking near.
Nowhere fucking near.

Back three, weak as piss.

Weak as piss.

You're fucking kidding me.

[players chattering]

[Parkin] Alive on the outside.

[Ker] We are on a growth track.

We are advancing up the Football League.

And the challenge that comes with that

is keeping up with the demand,
keeping up with the expectation,

because we've been striving to get out
of the National League for so long.

So there is an extra level of pressure
because the margin for error is so small.

So we need to make sure
we have a deep bench

and, uh, strong players in every position.

The summer transfer window
is a key time for us

to add reinforcements to the team.

This is a period from June the 14th
to September the 1st,

during which football clubs
can add players

who were previously under contract
with another club.

It's sort of similar to the trade deadline
in the NFL or NBA,

which ends in the early part
of those league seasons.

After the window closes,
teams can still sign players

who aren't under contract
until the registration deadline.

Yeah, just have a look here.
He opens up. Yeah, perfect.

So when we were in America,

obviously, we were looking for someone
to compete with Jacob Mendy

in that left wingback position.

And then we started looking
at James McClean.

[crowd cheers]

So I started watching him, and I thought,

"Well, he's, like, by far the best player
we can get in that position."

♪ I'm on a roll, roll, roll, roll
Ready to go, go, go, go ♪

[Parkinson]
He's an iconic Irish footballer.

I love watching him.

God, what a scrapper.

♪ It's game time
Here we go ♪

I'm at a stage in my career where I want
something that's gonna excite me.

And the Wrexham one ticked all the boxes.

People want to be remembered
as part of history.

So if we go on to achieve the success,

then obviously I will be
a part of that history

and look back with a great sense of pride.

[players shouting]

The team that we've assembled
are top drawer.

Um, and that usually
results in good things.

But I think MK Dons,
our first game of the season,

was an eye-opening experience.

[commentator 1] ...know if he can
get the shot away.

And it gets past Foster and goes in.

And there's not much more to say.

[Ker] In the National League, you can
get away with making a few mistakes.

In that game, every single error we made,
it resulted in a goal for them.

[commentator 1] A disappointing return
to the Football League for Wrexham.

[Williams] We were treated to quite a show
at the... at the Racecourse.

First thoughts on a big day for Wrexham.

[Randall] It felt like being
the new kid at school.

I was quite, you know, still excited,
looking forward to it,

and then the big bully comes along
and pulls your pants down.

- [person 1] Start working...
- [Gilpin] Yeah, let's face it.

This club has got a long way to go.

[Edwards] You can say that again.
We're sitting in 21st place in the league.

[commentator 2]
...collision into his left side of ribs.

[Gilpin] We haven't got our star striker,
Paul Mullin, at the moment.

We were due a bit of a humbling,

a bit of a reminder that,
"Look, this isn't gonna be easy."

Go, pass, move in!

Yeah, put it in! Put it in!

[Parkin] Goal. Brilliant.

[Ker] Every team is gonna suffer
from a bit of adversity.

MK Dons came in
and slightly pissed on our chips.

[Parkin] More aggressive! More attack!

Oh.

But, um, we just have to respond.

Time!

- 1-nil, Reds.
- [player 1] Oh.

[Parkin] Well done, boys. Well done, boys!

[person applauding]

Any chance I could take your photograph?

- Yeah, sure.
- Go for it.

As you're Wrexham fans,
and I've got this lot following me.

- [chuckles]
- Yeah, go for it.

My name's Oliver Stephen.
I'm a local photographer.

I live and work in Wrexham.

[shutter clicks]

[Stephen] Quite a solitary person.

Growing up, I had trouble
sort of connecting with other kids,

with making friends, with fitting in.

I was too working-class
for the middle-class friends I had.

I was too middle-class
for the working-class friends. Um.

I was too northern for the southerners,
too southern for the northerners.

I wasn't English enough
'cause I was half Welsh, half Scottish.

I wasn't Scottish enough or Welsh enough.

So, I definitely never felt like
I really belonged.

I'm an outsider.

I see it as, like, a point of pride.

'Cause of what I do with a camera
and the way that I sort of make art,

it's about observation.

It gives you an opportunity
to look at things

in a way that perhaps other people,
like, don't see.

[shutter clicks]

[Stephen] I wander around with a camera
on match days,

and I just photograph stuff.

Which started by accident... [chuckles]

...and then has become
a bit of an obsession.

- [shutter clicking]
- [fans] Wrexham! Wrexham! Wrexham!

[Stephen] I didn't like football
when I came here,

but as you grow to love the town,
the town is the club.

The club is the town.

[cheering fades]

You just...
I don't know, you fall for it. Like...

I like Wrexham because it's not glamorous.

It's a simple working-class place
that's grown over the years.

It just feels the right sort of beautiful
and the right sort of bleak.

[chuckles] The sort of images that I take.

Um, yeah, it just feels like me.

- [car honking]
- [shutter clicking]

[chuckling]

[Stephen] You know, I've loved the town
since I've got here

and felt passionate about it.

And then just through taking
the photographs of the lights,

of the crowds and everything else,

gave me a chance to start trying
to understand why are people into this.

My natural sort of style is, I guess,
like, street photography.

I like being an outsider.

I think outside lets me see things
that other people might not focus on.

I know for a lot of people,
it'll be about getting near the pitch,

photographing the players,

chasing down Rob and Ryan after
they come out in their cars and stuff.

And I'm, like, more interested in...
There's all these cultural rituals.

Like the stickers around the town
on lampposts and stuff.

It's those little details
that fascinate me.

[crowd cheering]

[Stephen] So, Victory Parade day,

bus came down that street

and they were playing
"I Can't Help Falling in Love With You."

Which is exactly how I feel about the club
and the town. [pants]

But it's an odd moment, this, because
that's the place that saved my life,

that we've just accidentally walked up to.

That's the art school.
That's where I started this.

That was the beginning of it.

I came here in 2008

'cause I got made redundant
from a job up in Colwyn Bay

where I really, really wasn't happy.

And my mum had said, "Have you thought
about going back to university?"

And I thought, "No, I'm too old.
I can't go back to university."

I mean, I read the words, "fine art,"

and something just, like, hit me
and I was like, "That's it.

That's the thing.
That's what I need to do."

Turning up here, I was suicidal.

I was depressed, um,
suffering with anxiety and panic attacks.

Um, I was an alcoholic.

And in the 15 years since I've moved, um...

I've turned my life around.

[sighs]

I've suffered with, like, depression
and anxiety since, like, my mid-teens.

Anxiety is always with you.
I had an anxiety attack on the way here.

I'm probably having one right now
as I'm talking to you,

but I'll just push through it.

And, you know, it never really goes.

You can push through your fears,
but your fears are still there afterwards.

You just know that you can cope.

My fine art degree taught me to...
well, taught me self-reflection.

How to look at your own problems,
how to look at your own ideas,

assess them, push yourself forward.

Do something, challenge yourself.

It was a degree
that was about dealing with uncertainty

and dealing with, you know,
"Your work looks shite.

How do you make it better?"

It's not a big step to go from
"work looking shite" to "life is shite.

How do I make life better?"

In the back of my work ID,

every day when I go in,

I have a photograph of me and my nephew.

I want him and my niece to grow up

believing that they can be
whatever they wanna be.

They can do whatever they want to do,

and that they can push through any pain,
any discomfort.

And they can get...

They can get there.

And, um, if I'm not willing
to do the same,

if I'm not willing to push through,

I can't look him in the eye and tell him,
"You can be what you wanna be."

So I've got to get over my shit.

'Cause when they struggle,

I want them to know
that I can get through it,

therefore they can get through it.

And they're smarter and cleverer
and stronger than I am.

I'm just an idiot.

So, that's how I get through it.

And that picture I carry with me every day

'cause it's a constant reminder
of why I'm doing what I'm doing.

So I've gone from loving this place
to loving the place just across the road.

[producer] Have you ever been to a game?

No. I've never been to a game.

I've never even stepped foot
inside the stadium.

You know, I'm scared of crowds.

I don't like loud noises.

- This is awesome. Yeah?
- [producer] Yes.

This is the glue
that holds people together.

The club is a way of, like,
knowing I belong to something.

You belong. It's a... It's a way of
the community coming together

in a single place at a single time,

behind something that unites all of us.

Regardless of who you voted for,

what you do, where you work,
what your class is.

We're all Wrexham.

And the people in Wrexham,
you know, saved my life.

[producer] Is it on the bucket list,
then, to go to a game?

Yeah.

Yeah, one day I'll make it.

[Gilpin] Welcome to
the Fearless in Devotion podcast.

Today, let's talk about
that up and down start to the season.

We're facing off against Swindon
at the Cae Ras later on.

Tough game.

[Williams] Yeah, especially coming off
of a rough first game against MK Dons.

You know, we've improved
a little bit since then.

They've drawn away at Wimbledon,
so things are looking up.

[Griffiths] Pulls it back nicely
this time. Shot comes in.

Deflected. And in!

Elliot Lee.

After some terrific work by Jacob Mendy.

[Gilpin] And let's not forget,
we won against Walsall as well.

[Griffiths] ...crowding the ball.
Young floats it in.

Boyle heads it! Look at that!

Yes! Yes!

[Griffiths] Will Boyle scores
on his debut!

[Gilpin] So after three league games,

we've won one, we've drawn one

and we've lost one.

[Williams] Yeah, it's exactly where we
were at this point last season, I think.

Puts us in 11th place.

Hopefully, these new signings will help us
avoid any more embarrassments

like the MK Dons disaster

because we badly need a win
against Swindon Town.

[Parkinson] Okay, boys.
Let's be a fucking horrible,

fucking hard-nosed fucking team.

And every time the ball
goes in the fucking box,

every fucking time, first fucking contact,

it comes out, it goes back in,
we're fucking up

and we test this fucking team
to the absolute fucking maximum.

- Let's fucking go.
- [Parkin] Come on, lads!

Come on. Today, they won't deny us.
Let's fucking rock and roll!

[Parkinson] Come on, boys!

[Griffiths] Welcome to Stok Cae Ras.

This time we're gonna be bringing you
Wrexham against Swindon Town.

And Swindon with a terrific crowd
who really make a noise.

This is going to be a tasty one,
I-I can assure you.

[crowd cheering]

[Griffiths] And away we go.

Swindon's keeper well out of goal
to receive the kickoff.

Come on the Town!

[Griffiths] Proper passing team Swindon.

Can Wrexham press them into pockets
they don't want to go to?

Drop into the front there!

[Griffiths] Hutton sweeps a good one
into the far post.

Austin keeps it alive! Free header.
1-nil, Swindon!

Oh, no. The defense scrapping about.

They couldn't keep her out.
They're really struggling out there.

Wrexham are 1-nil down early on again.

[crowd chanting]

[Griffiths] Wrexham will be
very frustrated,

having not really had to defend
that much here so far.

[chanting continues]

[Griffiths] Mendy's put
under a lot of pressure.

Pushes him in the back. Not been given.

Mendy's touch tight on him now.

- And there's a lovely ball inside to Kemp...
- [commentator 2] Wow. Well done.

[Griffiths] ...who chips it
in the danger area.

- It's 2-nil.
- [commentator 2] 2-nil, yeah.

[Griffiths] Austin with that striker's
instinct got there ahead of Foster.

- And Wrexham, a bit like the MK Dons game...
- Yep.

...were a bit sloppy at the back there.

And we've gone 2-nil down again.

[commentator 3] This... The defense is
looking a little bit messy at the moment.

[Griffiths] And Wrexham have got
an issue here.

[commentator 2] Yeah.

[Griffiths] So from the restart,
Boyle has it.

He drives it to Bickerstaff.
Level the edge of the box. Left-hand side.

Boyle's going up in support of Bickerstaff
now and receives it.

Twenty-five yards out on the flank.

Back to Bickerstaff.

Swindon just really doing well
to smother Wrexham on that end.

Bickerstaff beats two men.
Cutting into the box.

- Tight angle. It's... Yes!
- Yes! Yes!

- [Griffiths] Goal Bickerstaff. Come on!
- [commentator 2] Yes! Come on!

[Griffiths] It's unbelievable
he managed that!

He was... He beat one man,
was tackled, rode the tackle,

and from an impossible angle...

Well, frankly, hit it through Mahoney.

[crowd cheering]

But what a finish by Bickerstaff.

[crowd chanting]

[crowd] Wrexham!

- [Griffiths] That's something, wasn't it?
- [commentator 2] Yeah.

And Wrexham needed a goal there.

[crowd] Wrexham! Wrexham!

[Griffiths] 2-1. Mahoney knocking it long
through the middle.

Looking for Young.

Boyle is all over him. Wrexham win it.

Lee is caught in possession.
And Wrexham are in trouble here.

Young edge of the area.
Wrexham have got players around him.

Can they stop him laying it off? No.

Kemp edge of the deep.
Sets it up. Hits it.

And scores.

- What a fabulous finish by Kemp.
- [commentator 3] What a goal.

[Griffiths] Sloppy by Wrexham.
Lee caught in possession.

And Wrexham, well...

[commentator 3]
The defense is all over the place today.

- [Griffiths] Within a minute.
- [commentator 3] Yeah.

Well, we get back in the game
with a wonderful Bickerstaff goal

and then we can't defend
and we give another goal away.

It's very poor at the back today.

- [fan 1] Come on!
- Very poor.

So Wrexham would look again
to come back from two goals down.

O'Connell works it wide.

- [commentator 3] Oh. It's poor.
- [Griffiths] It's given away by Barnett.

Wrexham can't afford sloppiness like this.

It's carried to the edge of the area.
Overhead.

Jones with a tackle.
It falls loose. And it's four.

- [commentator 3] I can't believe this.
- [Griffiths] Incredible.

- Another sloppy, sloppy goal.
- [commentator 3] Very sloppy.

4-1 down after 34 minutes.

It's gonna be a long afternoon, I think.

Feels like
we've been here forever already.

Yeah.
This is like the season we went down.

Yeah. Yeah.

[Harvey] You can't take anything
for granted.

We have to earn everything.

Not that ultimately, it...

one win changes a season,
but it... the whole mentality,

the whole approach of... of fans
and the belief.

We can't afford to allow it to wane.

Because in football,
anything can happen, even relegation.

[Griffiths] And that is halftime.

[crowd booing]

Well, we thought Milton Keynes
was a flash in the pan.

Well, this is worse.

[commentator 3] I mean, there's been boos
from the Wrexham fans.

I have not heard that at the Racecourse
for a long time.

[Lee] We are so fucking weak.
Every fucking one of us.

It's fucking shit, lads.

Fucking five goals, four goals,
three goals.

It's fucking shit.

Every single one of us.
It's fucking embarrassing.

And fouls we've conceded,
so many fucking goals at home.

Weak as fucking piss, all of us.

Though, the best player on the pitch
was fucking Bickers.

Everybody else has been weak
as fucking piss.

You can't fucking defend the box like that

and expect to win
fucking games of football.

Ball's getting cleared.

Jacob, how many crosses
has he fucking got in?

So you've cost us a fucking goal
by fucking not winning a header.

You've let 'em fucking
just cross the ball at fucking will.

You look like a player who's just thought,
"Fucking hell, I'm here.

I've fucking arrived."

He's fucking got crosses in.
He's been more physical than you.

He's dominated you.

Same as you, fucking Barnett.

All over the pitch. All over the pitch.
All over the pitch.

Ollie, fucking crosses have come in.

One near the end,
where Bickers flicked it.

Get across your fucking man.
One where Jake crossed it.

Get across your fucking man in
the middle of the goal and score a goal.

Toz, nowhere near strong enough
for fucking headers.

Nowhere fucking near.
Nowhere fucking near.

Just be honest, did...

did I waste two hours of my afternoon

doing the fucking
defenders meeting yesterday?

You're either not reading it
or you don't give a fuck.

So I'm wasting my time
doing you a fucking favor.

Say, "Steve, go and play golf
on Friday afternoon

instead of sitting and writing that."

It's written for you lot
to fucking look at it, read it,

and do what you need to do to stop the man
you're playing against fucking playing.

Back three, weak as piss.

Weak as piss.

Not won one fucking header.

You're fucking kidding me.

We've got to fucking man up
fucking quickly.

And when we've done all that,

we'll see if we've fucking got enough
to fucking change it.

If it's 4-2 and we'll go and try
and get back in the game.

The only way you will get
this fucking crowd behind you.

The only way is to show fight.
The only way.

To show spirit, fight, intensity
and fucking integrity.

[Parkinson] And courage to play.

Do you know what that means?
Integrity means being honest.

[Foster]
Everybody fucking help each other.

- And I mean that, okay?
- [player 2] Yeah. Yeah.

'Cause it was a fucking struggle that,
weren't it?

Don't cunt anybody off.
Help every fucker now, all right?

[Parkinson] To... Totally agree.
So listen in, yeah?

Fozzy just said that.

Let's not lose our fucking heads
and lose... go frantic. Stay calm.

Let's get tight on the halfway line.
Let's be first to the ball.

Front men, get the bodies in.

Ball goes in the box, comes out. It goes
back in and put them under pressure.

'Cause they're creaking, aren't they,
on those throws?

- Come on, boys. Let's go.
- [Parkin] Let's get the first goal early.

- Come on.
- [Parkin] Let's go and get it.

Come on. Proper structure though.

[fans cheering]

[Griffiths] All right,
we're ready for the second half.

- Wrexham are down 4-1.
- [fans chanting]

[Griffiths] We will fix this.

However, whether it's spending money
or getting Mullin back or...

But we are... we are showing...

This is showing that League Two
is a whole... a-a high, high level.

- Yeah. I think that's a fair comment.
- Yeah.

[Griffiths] Here we go, then. Wrexham
restart. The ball is laid backwards.

[fan 2] Go Wrexham! Get into it!

[Griffiths] Tozer immediately pings it
over towards Palmer.

By Palmer let's out... Oh, lovely turn!

Beats his man. Tight angle.
Picks on another man. Beats him!

Hits it! Saved by the keeper.

That would've been
almost an action replay.

Lee with the inswinger to the far post.
Beyond everyone.

[fan 3] Penalty. Penalty. Come on.

[commentator 3] Come on.

[Griffiths] He was held.
And the referee had no hesitation.

Wrexham started the second half
magnificently and finally got a penalty.

You know, we can, if we keep going
and keep believing, you know.

Whatever happens in the game,
we can turn things around.

[Griffiths] It's a penalty
which Elliot Lee will take

in the absence of Paul Mullin.

And an understanding, you know,
that's what this club's all about.

That's the identity of Wrexham.

[Griffiths] Gives the go-ahead.
Lee steps up. Right-footed.

[cheering cuts out]

- [cheering resumes]
- [commentator 3] Yes!

[commentator 2, commentator 3]
Come on. Come on.

[Griffiths] And Wrexham are
back in the game.

Wrexham!

[Griffiths] To Palmer.

Palmer switches nicely. Looks good.

- Cannon first time. That's it.
- [commentator 3] Come on!

[Griffiths] Passes Lee. He feeds it in.

- Yes! Yes!
- Yes!

[fans, commentators cheering]

Yeah!

Come on, the boys!

[Griffiths] That's two goals
in quick succession for Wrexham.

- Can you believe it?
- Wrexham!

[Griffiths] Little give and go by Barnett.

Short by the pass. Danger again.

Gets the ball stuck under his feet.
Tozer's done well. Fed back though.

Can he connect this
from the edge of the deep?

On his left foot, hits it, and scores!

It went under Foster's hands.
And they've got a fifth.

[crowd booing]

[Griffiths] And that fight back
just got tougher.

- ♪ I ain't living with regrets ♪
- ♪ No ♪

♪ I ain't never gonna lie
It ain't over ♪

- [Griffiths] That's five. Okay.
- [commentator 3] Five?

[Griffiths] Tozer hurls it
to the near post.

That's a great header clear
by Blake-Tracy.

Mendy gets to it. Mishits it. Heads-up.

[crowd cheering]

Come on!

[Griffiths] A minute left now.

♪ I'll never back down ♪

[Griffiths] Anyway, here we go. It's hit.

Oh, what a save! It ricochets.

- Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
- [crowd cheering]

- [Griffiths] It's in.
- Yes!

- Everything is insane about this club!
- [commentator 2] I can't believe it!

[Griffiths] We have drawn
this game five all.

And you know what?

[crowd] ♪ You're not singing... ♪

[Griffiths] That was remarkable.

Wrexham fans singing,
"You're not singing anymore." [laughs]

[fan 4] Unbelievable game, five all.

We defended like Sunday League players,
but I'll take a draw.

Unbelievable.

♪ You're not singing anymore ♪

[crowd chanting, cheering]

[Ker] No doubt you remember Rob
previously talking about, uh,

draws that feel like wins
and draws that feel like losses.

Well, if you're 4-1 down at half time,
like we were,

and you come back to draw 5-5,
that really feels like a win.

But if you're a Swindon Town fan or player
or official, then it feels like a loss.

[Parkinson] Listen, first of all,

the response after the break for that
first 20 minutes was fucking brilliant.

Absolutely fucking brilliant.

Looked like we're gonna
get back in it, go and win it.

I thought we were gonna win,
I'm gonna be honest, from the touchline.

The Swindon game was just one of those
bizarre games,

where, you know,
we end up with a 5-5 draw,

having been 5-3 down,
going into added... added time.

What we found is everybody in League Two
has forwards who can score.

Wrexham do. Everybody does.

[Parkinson] I mean,
that's some fucking display.

So, whilst I'm delighted

that we're fucking showing
that fucking spirit

and scored goals... probably scored more,

we gotta be fucking
brutally honest with ourselves.

We're just fucking weak today
and we can't be weak, Boyle, can we?

We can't be fucking weak as a fucking team

in terms of the fucking shape and the
structure and fucking dealing with things.

Steve, anything to add?

We have to get
the needle back in the train.

We have got to get
that fucking real killer instinct back.

That you are prepared to die
for your teammates.

We know you can play.

You just scored five fucking goals.
We know you can play.

How many goals did you score last year?
Hundred and fucking up.

We've gotta get that edge back, lads.

Otherwise, we're gonna have
a few more of these days, and we can't...

None of us can stomach that.

We can't stomach this, can we?

We can't stomach this as a group,
can we? So come on.

But at least we stood up
to be counted second half, boys.

We'll take the fucking positive.

[Parkin] You stuck
to-fucking-gether, lads.

You stuck together, which is good.

Hello, Wrexham fans, it's Ben Foster here.

I wanted to let you all know

that I've decided to, um, retire
from professional football.

Yeah, I know, again.

[crowd shouting]

Must admit, it took me by shock,
to be honest.

[shouting continues]

[Ker] Nobody really saw him hanging up
his gloves on Monday morning, did we?

Sometimes you just gotta be honest with
yourself, brutally honest with yourself.

[Griffiths] Got there ahead of Foster.

I know that he... he, you know...

Obviously, we've conceded
a lot of goals this season so far.

But, you know, I don't think Ben Foster
can be blamed for the majority of those.

[fan 5] So, uh,
super Ben Foster is not in goal.

He's just really kind of mirrored
what we were thinking anyway.

It's that he hasn't been good enough.

[Harvey] From Ben's perspective,

I think it was the dawn of reality
that he was getting older.

I feel like there's probably been about
four or five goals already this season

that I should be saving.

[Griffiths] It went under Foster's hands.

Goals are going in, and I'm thinking,
"You should have saved that.

Why haven't... How haven't you saved that?"

[Ker] When you've been where Fozzy's been,
where your standards are so high,

it's very, very difficult to accept when
your standards have, uh... have fallen.

[crowd cheering]

[Foster] So, even though we had drawn,

the lads were quiet,

and they weren't happy
'cause they knew something was wrong.

They knew that the performance
wasn't what it should be.

And this might sound selfish,

but I was thinking just about my own
circumstance at that moment in time

because I knew enough was enough,
and I knew I was done.

And I was thinking about how to tell the
manager, how to tell the coaching staff.

And I was just sort of
just thinking about it.

Just, "What shall I do? Shall I do it now?
Shall I ring somebody tomorrow?

Um, shall I tell them on Monday?"

I thought,
"No, I'm just gonna go tell them."

Went into the coach's room, and I said,
"That's me done, lads. That's me done. Um...

I'm letting you down.

I... I'm not up to speed.
I'm not what I thought I am.

And I don't wanna keep letting you down."

Because I think at that point

we had let in 14 goals or something
for the season in four games.

And it was too many. It was too many.

To be honest, it was...
it was the right decision.

It was the right decision for Ben.

And in reality, it was the right decision
for Wrexham as well.

[Edwards] It's a big call to make.
It's the right call to make, I think.

[Reynolds] I thought it was generous.

Like, it was an incredibly generous
thing to do.

So few people know when to call it,
you know.

I've been making Sunny for seven...
I don't know.

- This man doesn't understand. Yeah.
- It's been over for five, six years maybe.

[Ryan] You just keep shooting it.

- He's paying for it.
- Just keep making it. Yeah.

- I'm making Wolverine Ten.
- [chuckles]

[McElhenney] And we're looking at these
players, and they know when it's time,

and they walk off with dignity.

- They teach us every single day.
- We have zero dignity.

[Reynolds] No. Not at all.

'Cause I have... I have an immense amount
of respect for... for Ben

and who he is as both a player
and a person.

He's a huge reason we're here in the EFL.

[crowd cheering]

Done, yeah? Cut?

[Mullin] We're back.

Feels like it was about two years
ago I played on there.

Quicker than expected,

but, I don't know,
'cause I'm not fit yet, so...

...when I'm able to play, I'll then say it
was quick or not.

But it's good to come back in.
Like, I've just

been stuck at home, watching on
the telly, and...

Just wanted to come back

and get back, fit, as quick as I can,

and hopefully we'll find out now
when I can start running again.

[Mulholland] All right, how've you been
in the last week or so?

[Mullin] Sound.

[Mulholland] How's that?

[Mullin] All right.

I can feel it,

- but that's sore to touch...
- Okay.

...like, if I'm not expecting it.

All right, just down to your right for me.

Okay. Little bit of spasm here and there.
Yeah.

In terms of what we do as physios,

I think the training philosophy
comes more into it

in the rehabilitation
of an injured player.

Firstly, we want to get the player
back to, sort of,

normal functioning in their daily life.

Then we see them
getting back into training.

Then we see them
getting back into competition

and then back into performance.

So the next couple of days is really,

get you on the bike,
get your CV fitness up,

and get all
the soft tissue restrictions done,

'cause then, we'll start on your quads,
hammies, calves, all that sort of stuff

that is not going to have
any impact on your ribs at all.

So, yeah, there's not a lot
you're gonna do outside running,

but there's a lot you're gonna do
in the gym.

- Happy?
- Yeah.

- Happy as I can be about it.
- [Mulholland] All right.

[Mullin] The rehab was quite unusual.

How do you rehab a lung?

You can't make it any stronger,
apart from breathing.

And then, obviously,
with four broken ribs,

it's like any broken bone,
but you can't put a cast on them.

So, it's just about trying to get better
with football,

and when the pain subsides
a little bit more,

then I can join in again.

Everything we've done was all geared
towards getting promoted to the EFL,

so we'd been operating as an EFL club
effectively in the National League.

So when you look at the playing squad,

we always knew
that there was never going to be the need

for a massive overhaul
to be able to compete.

What we needed to do was to supplement
with more players

because the competition
is one division better.

The games are quicker.

[Parkin] Come on. Let's get fucking busy.

Get in the fucking six-yard box.
That's where the goals are scored.

Three-minute games.

Three minutes on the clock, gentlemen.

- [whistle blows]
- [Parkin] Play. Away we go.

Good.

I'm Chris Johnson, uh, head of recruitment
at Wrexham Football Club.

One of the things
with recruitment is that, uh,

even though we got promotion,
we don't stand still.

And I think...
I think we've done that quite well.

Uh, so Mulls's injury, as bad as it was
for Paul himself and the... and the group,

there was plans already in place
to go and sign another striker.

[Parkin] Come on, then. [grunts]

Here we go.

Steven Fletcher, striker
for Wrexham Football Club.

[Parkinson] Yeah, we knew Fletch
was a high caliber of player.

Um, player who's been sold
for a lot of money in his career.

He's a remarkable player with his,
you know, samurai hair.

- He's straight out of Braveheart as well.
- Um. Yeah. I know.

[Celtic music plays]

Yeah, I would not want to see that guy
bearing down on me on the football pitch.

[fan 6] Fletcher's come in.
He's looking dangerous.

He's, um, definitely another, um,
good physical presence for the League

and can score a lot of goals.

I think he's-he's quite dangerous.

He's gonna be one to watch.

Such a clever player and then also,
obviously, such a threat in the box.

The way he is in the air and how powerful
his headers are, are incredible.

Scores a lot of headed goals.

[fan 7] He's Scottish international,

ex-Premier League experience.

I know he's aging, but he looks
fit as a butcher's dog, doesn't he?

- Fletch! Land on your toes.
- [player 3] Go, Fletch!

- [Parkin] What a ball. What a touch.
- [player 3] Fletch, get back! Get back!

My dad was in the army,
so we were moving around a lot. Um.

Dad loved football. He was a...
My dad was a Scouser.

He was a big Liverpool fan.

He used to take me to all the games.
We had a season ticket.

Even when I was moving around
and no matter where we were in England,

we were going to Liverpool games,
so it was really good.

My Dad passed away when I was ten.

When he passed away,
it was kind of like, uh,

I think for me, just to want
to become a footballer,

just to kind of, like, make him proud.
You know what I mean?

So, got to 16, signed professional.

Made my debut when I was 17.

Got to 21, 22,

and then Owen Coyle came calling
for Burnley down in the Premier league.

So when I first moved to Burnley, I was
only there a year, and we got relegated.

And I got the chance to move to Wolves.

Martin O'Neill came calling as well,
then, after that for Sunderland.

So I spent four years there.

Then after that, I moved onto Marseille.

After that, I went to Sheffield Wednesday.

[Griffiths] Fletcher, touch and a strike!

- Oh, yes! What a fantastic strike that is!
- [commentator 4] Oh! [laughs]

And then I got a phone call from Stoke, so
I went there, and spent two years there.

And then I made the decision
to take us back to Scotland.

Um. So, yeah, I went to Dundee United.

And I actually really enjoyed my time.
I know we got relegated,

but the lads were great,
the fans were great,

and I actually will always have
a soft spot for them now.

- [Parkin] Oh, hello. Oh, hello.
- [player 4] Ah.

[Fletcher] When I left Dundee United,

I'm not gonna lie, in the back of my mind,
I was thinking, is that me done?

I was just half-thinking that, "Do I just
now concentrate on family?"

Being a... a dad and a husband
on a more day-to-day basis?

But I think after about a month,
the wife got sick of me...

[laughs] ...and she was like,

"No, you've still got something.

Your career is not over.

You've still got something there to give."

[producer] What was your thoughts
whenever the Wrexham call came?

- [Rachel] You had been at a golf day...
- I was at golf, yeah.

...and you came home,
and you just had this look on your face.

And I knew straightaway that he was going,
like, he didn't even have to say it.

You took your golf hat off,

and I went, "You're going, aren't you?"

- Do you remember?
- Oh, yeah.

But it was the first time, all summer,

that I knew you were genuinely excited
about something

because you'd sat there, like,
with a few things coming through.

And I could see it in you.

Like, nothing was kind of, like,
getting you excited, was it?

No.

[Fletcher] Even if you're
not a Wrexham fan,

as a footballer, when you watch
the kind of highs that they had,

you still get that little buzz
watching it.

And that's all I needed.

I just needed something inside me
that was gonna be like, "Let's go again."

- [Parkinson] Good. 2-nil.
- [player 5] Come on!

[players yelling]

[player 6] Come here.

[Williams] Welcome to
the Fearless In Devotion podcast.

Today we're looking ahead to the upcoming
clash between Wrexham and Grimsby.

Right. We all remember Grimsby knocked us
out of the playoffs in 2022.

It's still hard to take.

- [commentator 5] They've done it!
- [crowd cheering]

Grimsby have won it in extra time.

[Williams] But you know what?
I think we'll get a little bit of revenge.

You can't forget the-the playoff game
against Grimsby.

Because it set them on the way,
it set us back, and you can't deny that.

So, yeah, there was a little bit
in the back of our minds saying,

"Come on. You know, today is the day
we can put the record straight."

Wrexham v. Grimsby at home,
and we're gonna win.

Revenge Day for Grimsby Town. Come on.

[Williams] With Ben Foster now retired
though, Mark Howard will be back in goal.

[fan 8] Well, I haven't seen the team yet.

I guess Mark Howard
will keep his place in goal.

Oh, I don't mind Howard.

I felt bad for Howard
'cause he gets a lot of criticism.

But, for me, he...

What everyone forgets is he did play
most of the games last season.

And, yes, he made a couple of mistakes,
but doesn't everyone?

[Howard] Manager pulled me straightaway.

He goes,
"We might look to bring someone in.

It all depends on how things go
and availability,

but it's up to you now
to go and prove yourself again.

And we know that you're good enough,

and you've got the quality,
and you've done it for us in the past."

When you think, "Oh, man, actually you're
gonna get one 90 minutes out of this,

but you've got to make the most of it."

After a few weeks sabbatical,

we're back.

[Williams] Super Paul Mullin
has returned. Finally.

[Edwards] I reckon he'll get
his first start of the season as well.

I think he'll... think he'll come good.

[Green] Is he still your best player,

despite all the other signings
you've made?

[Parkinson] Without a doubt. He's just
that little bit of sharpness that we need.

We were absolutely gutted
when we lost him,

because you can't replace
a fellow like that.

So, yeah, without a doubt,
he's our best player.

He's gonna make us a lot stronger

because obviously in my opinion,
he's the best striker in the league.

Yeah, it'd be nice for Mullin to start.
You know, we definitely missed him.

[Mullin] Everyone wanted me to be ready.
Everyone was willing me to be ready.

I wanted to be ready,
but it was on me, and obviously,

me being me, probably done it a little
earlier than people would have liked,

but that was me because I knew
it was gonna take time to get back.

So the quicker I was back playing, the
quicker I could feel half myself again.

And, uh, I was willing
to take that chance.

[fan 9] I was just glad to see
Mullin get back.

I'm going for a three-nil win.

[fan 10] Both teams to score.
Wrexham win. Mullin to score.

That's... That's my bet for the day.

Up at 'em!

The ideal scenario would be giving Mullin
an hour and win 1-nil. Win it scrappy.

["Super Paul Mullin" playing]

[crowd singing along] ♪ We've got Mullin
Super Paul Mullin ♪

♪ I just don't think you understand ♪

♪ He plays in red and white
He's fucking dynamite ♪

♪ We've got Super Paul Mullin ♪

[crowd cheering]

[shutter clicks]

[crowd chanting in distance]

We got in trouble here.

We snuck around here to just try and
get photographs over the top of the fence.

And we got in trouble with the stewards

because you're not allowed
to photograph the match

while it's happening
due to broadcast rights.

I've seen a few people, like, climb up
on top of the, like, container there

on top of the bins and getting in trouble.

People line the walls
along Crispin Lane as well.

They're trying to, like, look over
and watch things,

but you can't see anything
from there at all.

And I'm not going to try and climb up,

because I've got knees that don't work
and a back that hates me.

[Parkinson] Yeah,
just a couple of things, boys, okay?

So make sure we get passes
and move this team round with the ball,

and make them work out possession.

We're at home with fucking physical firsts
and seconds, but in control.

Reset as a team.

If there's a period where we've not
had our way, just be cool, reset again.

It'll be fucking fast and fucking furious,
but fucking stick together.

Cool, calm and collected whilst starting
that fire in our bellies. Let's go.

- [Parkin] Come on. Away we go.
- [player 5] Come on, boys.

[Parkin] Come on.
Everybody on it. No slow start. [shouts]

- Come on, Sam. Come on.
- [player 6] Boylie.

[Griffiths] Wrexham are hoping
for a bit of revenge today.

Looks like plenty
of noisy Grimsby fans here.

And starting for the first time
since his injury, Paul Mullin.

Wrexham kicking towards the Kop end.

- In the first half.
- [crowd chanting]

It is getting loud here, isn't it?

♪ It's there for the taking ♪

♪ It's destiny in the making ♪

[fan 11] Go Wrexham!

[Griffiths] Right, here we go.

Mullin's first chance
to trouble Waterfall,

and I think Mullin's fouled again.

And then Mullin falls on the ground.

Waterfall certainly had a handful
of his shirt.

Well, the ref didn't give it.

Mullin running at his man cuts in
towards the edge of the box.

Palmer screams for it. Mullin shoots.

And it, I think, took a little deflection
that took the pace off it.

Easy save for the keeper.

But Mullin is such a threat, isn't he?

Mullin's back. Good chance.

Wrexham!

♪ It's destiny in the making ♪

You're gonna miss chances in football.

It's gonna happen.
You're gonna miss shots.

You're gonna miss easy goals.

[Griffiths] Feeds the ball towards Mullin.
Mullin beats his man. Hits it left-footed.

- Just wide.
- [fans whistling]

[Griffiths] And Mullin just couldn't
quite hit the target.

[Mullin] But if I can miss six in one game
and have a bad day at the office,

then I go into the next week even more
confident that I'm gonna score.

♪ Let's go ♪

It's put down the flank for Mullin
who beats his last defender.

Running in on goal, Mullin.
Can he finish? No.

Oh! Well,
he'll be so angry he missed that.

He was clear on his own
through the middle.

Long ball over the top.

Mullin's on the chase
down the right-hand side.

He'll do well to keep it in.
He's won a corner, has he?

[commentator 3]
They'll get a corner out of that.

[Griffiths] Yep.
That's impressive, isn't it?

[crowd] Wrexham!

Having Paul back obviously
is a... is a huge deal for us.

Um, he's our talisman.
He's our goal scorer.

[Griffiths] It's a corner.

The choir is all getting noisy
for James McClean

as he stands in front of them
and spots the ball up for the corner.

But to succeed in a league
like League Two,

you have to be having
all the different parts of the machine

working in-in perfect unison.

[Griffiths] McClean... floats it in nicely.

Keeper paws it away.

Did well getting over the big men.

So here's Lee now in a shooting position.

Curls in across!

♪ I can do anything ♪

- [Griffiths] Headed on! And in!
- [crowd cheering]

[Griffiths] It's in! Ollie Palmer floats
it over the keeper.

He's got his second goal of the season.

McClean wins the ball back on the left,
sweeps in the dangerous cross.

[crowd screaming]

Come on! Get in.

[Griffiths] Boyle is superb!

[commentator 2] Now, that was just
quality football for me.

[Griffiths] It was a good ball,
that, McClean.

Feeds it in around back
of the defense and Mullin is in there.

Can he get the shot off?

- Oh, just wide. That was...
- [commentator 2] So unlucky.

...a great effort, that.

I know he's missed
a couple of good chances,

but he also deserves a goal, doesn't he?

When Mullin's gonna get back to full
swing, he's gonna be amazing this season.

So Fletcher, our new signing,
will come on for Mullin.

Mullin, what an ovation for him,
and quite rightly again.

[crowd] ♪ Fucking dynamite
We've got super Paul Mullin ♪

[Griffiths] Backheel back to Lee,
and Lee takes, 360 degrees.

- Stabs at the cross. Overhead kick.
- [crowd] Oh!

[Griffiths] Brilliant save by the keeper.

- Fletcher is filthy. Absolutely filthy.
- Fletch! Fletch!

[Griffiths] Dalby runs onto it right side
of the box, back to goal.

Tries to pull it back and he does nicely.

- [crowd cheers]
- [Griffiths] Lee, yeah! Yes!

Lee nails it.

Brilliant stuff from Fletcher and Dalby.

And this game has been put to bed.

[commentator 2] And it was nice to get
a bit of revenge on Grimsby, to be fair.

[Griffiths] What a fantastic performance
by Mark Howard.

It's his second clean sheet
in the last three matches.

It was a complete performance all round.

They've really stepped up.

- This is fun.
- [commentator 4 laughing]

[Ker] So after eight matches and that win
against Grimsby Town, we're now

sitting in fourth, which is just outside
the automatic promotion places.

[crowd chanting]

[McElhenney] To have some revenge.

- [Reynolds] It felt good.
- [McElhenney] It felt good.

That felt good. We have a lot of respect
for Grimsby, but we still wanted revenge.

Uh, having dashed our hopes, so it was
great to be able to play them again.

[Reynolds] Yeah. That was... That was...

That was a very resounding moment for us
in the club.

That felt really good.

[Parkinson] Yeah, well done, boys.

Listen, it's a really good day's work
for us, that.

Just thought, like,
when we believe in ourselves,

fucking hell, we look a good team,
don't we?

I thought that was one of
our best performances of the season.

I thought we were really good.

Great win, lads.
And we kept a clean sheet.

Fucking brilliant.
Well done, well done, well done.

See you Monday.

[crowd chanting]

- [camera beeps]
- [shutter clicks]

[chanting continues]

[chanting fades out]