The Hollywood star slammed the National League recently, with one of the top two set to miss out on automatic promotion to League Two
Wrexham-mania has been running wild across the world ever since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over the Welsh club in November 2020. A Hollywood-worthy story has played out since then, with the Red Dragons reaching the play-offs during the pair's first full season in charge, where they suffered a brutal semi-final defeat to eventual promotion-winners Grimsby. This was preceded by further heartache, as they lost to Bromley in the FA Trophy final at Wembley.
This season, buoyed by the success of the immensely-popular 'Welcome to Wrexham' series, the club have bounced back.
They made it to the FA Cup fourth round, eventually succumbing to Sheffield United after a replay, and have also been in swaggering form in the National League.
🖥️ Watch Welcome to Wrexham on Hulu in the U.S.👕 Where to buy Wrexham kits, jerseys & accessories🎟️ Get tickets to see Wrexham vs Man Utd in San Diego
After battling it out all season with Notts County for the one automatic promotion spot, the two sides squared off on Monday, with a Ben Foster penalty save in the dying embers earning Wrexham a priceless victory and putting them on the cusp of a return to the Football League.
Speaking after that breathless encounter, owner Reynolds blasted the "insane" promotion system in the division, calling for both his team and Notts County to be granted an automatic procession into League Two – currently only one of the pair will go up without having to compete in the play-offs.
It's not the first time Reynolds and Co have ruffled feathers this season, slamming the National League for blocking Wrexham from streaming their games across the globe.
In that case, he likely had a point. But is he right about the promotion issue?
GettyWhat Reynolds actually said
“What makes it so special is how powerful, how special, how unique Notts County is,” Reynolds told after the game. “They’re the real story here. What they’ve done this season: losing their CEO Jason Turner, who as I’ve grown to know and learn was utterly beloved not just in Notts but here as well.
“I have such enormous respect for everything they’ve built and everything that they’ve done and it’s just insane for me that only one goes up automatically.
“If it were different – and I think it should be – both of these clubs would be celebrating together right now. Because what they’ve done is not only created drama greater than anything you’d see in a damn movie, but just something I think people will be talking about for ages.
“The fact this much attention has come upon the National League in this way I think is incredibly special and immensely worthy of not only Wrexham but Notts County as well. What they’ve done is so special, so unique.”
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWrexham aren't the only ones unhappy
Reynolds is not the only stakeholder who has questioned the National League promotion system in recent times. Boreham Wood are currently on track to secure one of the play-off spots this season and, in theory, could therefore benefit from there only being one automatic promotion spot. Even still, their chairman Danny Hunter has called for things to change.
"This season feels like no other that I’ve ever experienced in my time here in the National League," he tells GOAL. "Put simply, I never thought I’d witness two such fantastic ex-Football League teams as I have in Wrexham and Notts County, who have had such an intriguing battle royale in the manner that they have.
"They have, in my opinion, raised the profile of our competition and also gone head-to-head with each other throughout what is a memorable season for both clubs."
He adds: "With just four games left, both of these clubs have amassed more than 100 points, both have scored more than 100 goals, yet only one can be guaranteed to go up – that in truth is complete and utter madness.
"It’s honestly a travesty that we still only have one automatic promotion place at National League level and for one of those clubs, and it now looks like Notts County, they will have to face the very real chance of not going up, as they face the lottery that is the play-offs in two weeks."
In a recent exclusive interview with GOAL before the Wrexham showdown, free-scoring Notts County forward Macaulay Longstaff echoed these comments.
"I personally think there should be two automatic spots,” he said, "and I would have said that at the start of the season, but what can we do? We just have to make sure we finish at the top if we can."
(C)Getty ImagesThe state of play
Although the possibility of adding an additional promotion place from the National League has been discussed for some time, this season's unique circumstances mean the issue is getting greater coverage than ever before.
With several games left to play this term, both Wrexham and Notts County have racked up a century of points – and each team looks set to smash the previous record for most points in a single campaign (105, Crawley Town 2010-11).
It is not just the number of points that is startling. It's also the chasm that exists between themselves and the rest of the division.
At the time of writing, Notts County are 35 points ahead of seventh-placed Eastleigh – a team that could technically pip them to promotion in the play-offs. County also boast a goal difference that is 69 goals superior to Lee Bradbury's side – who both runaway leaders have done the double over in the league this season.
GettyIs it really unfair – or is it the Wrexham factor?
While the record-breaking dominance of Notts County and Wrexham may make the lottery of the play-offs seem even more unfair than usual, it is far from the first time that a good side has ended the campaign empty-handed.
In the second-ever season that the fifth-tier of English football introduced the new-look promotion system, Hereford finished just one point shy of winners Chester City with a superior goal difference. The Bulls would go on to lose out in the play-offs to Aldershot Town, a side they finished 21 points above during the regular season.
Wrexham have even suffered heartache of this description during their fan-owned years, amassing an incredible 98 points but not getting promoted during the 2010-11 campaign. Kidderminster Harriers and Tranmere Rovers are some of the other teams that have suffered similar fates more recently.
So, what's the solution? Do away with the play-offs altogether? Surely not.
The play-offs are consistently the most electrifying games in English football. They guarantee sell-out crowds for the clubs involved, attract huge global television audiences for leagues that fans may not normally follow and also provide life-long memories for supporters – provided things go their way.
We have seen how an obsession with 'fairness' has tarnished the match-going experience in the form of VAR. There is no need to extend this further by tampering with the most entertaining aspect of the National League season.
Sport is profoundly unjust at times, and it's these heartbreaking narratives that keep us coming back for more – something Notts County star Longstaff acknowledged to GOAL recently.
“I learnt very young that life is not fair, and once you get your head around that, it’s easier to function,” he said. "The big concern for me has been having a victim’s mentality, because when you are concentrating your energy on blaming a decision, the set-up of the league, the structure of promotion, it takes away from your focus and performance."
There is another, more cynical argument to make too. If Notts County and Wrexham really are so much better than everyone else in the division, with their expensively-assembled squads and staff, surely they won't have any issues navigating two play-off games to rubber stamp their promotion?