Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds Pay Tribute to Wrexham's Coal Mines with Their New Football Club Stadium

In their plans for a new stadium for the Wrexham football club, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds are ensuring that the city's coal mining industry takes center stage.

"It was always part of our discussions with the local architects and engineers while designing the new cop (stadium)," shared McElhenney, 46, during the October 14 episode of Welcome to Wrexham. "Our aim was to pay homage to the coal mining industry in every possible way."

He expressed, "We sought ways to openly demonstrate our deep respect."

In the tenth episode of season 2 of Welcome to Wrexham, viewers were introduced to the tragic 1934 Gresford Colliery Disaster, where 266 miners lost their lives in an underground explosion.

Adjacent to the Wrexham AFC racecourse stands Wrexham's Miners Rescue Station, which houses the memorial dedicated to the victims of the disaster. In this episode, McElhenney accompanied his father to visit the memorial, constructed in 1982.

McElhenney and Reynolds aim to include an abandoned colliery wheel as part of the memorial in Wrexham's new stadium. In Welcome to Wrexham's second season, the duo unveiled their intentions to expand the football stadium. In the premiere episode, aired last month, they stated that a funding of £20 million ($25.5 million) was required to successfully finish the new racecourse.

Patrick McElhenney/FX

Wrexham AFC's executive director, Humphrey Ker, has previously stated that the stadium project is the largest and most expensive aspect of owning a football team. With aspirations for Wrexham to be promoted to the English Football League, McElhenney and Reynolds aim to enhance the stadium to meet international standards and revive Welsh football at the racecourse. "To achieve this," Ker emphasized, "we require additional seating."

Wrexham's long-awaited promotion to the English Football League finally happened this past April after 15 years, and it's about to be featured in Welcome to Wrexham season 2, marking an end to the season.

In the first episode, which was recently released on Tuesday, the spotlight was on the rich mining history of Wrexham. However, the second episode shifted gears to highlight the groundbreaking achievements of the Wrexham Women's Football Club.

FX

The women’s team was granted a Tier 1 license in March in hopes of being promoted to a semi-professional team.

Wrexham CEO Fleur Robinson expressed gratitude and appreciation towards Head of Women’s Football, Gemma Owen, and her colleagues for their dedication in securing a Tier 1 license. Robinson acknowledged that despite this achievement, their ultimate goal of becoming a Genero Adran Premier team is still pending, with a highly anticipated play-off match against Briton Ferry Llansawel scheduled for the following month. The women's team emerged victorious with a 1-0 triumph over the Briton Ferry Llansawel team in April, resulting in their promotion to the Genero Adran Premier League and their new status as a semi-professional team.

New episodes of Welcome to Wrexham premiere Tuesdays on FX.