PUBLISHED JULY 2024

Tinseltown: Hollywood and the Beautiful Game - a Match Made in Wrexham

£12.99

Paperback: 400 pages Deadpool Buys Dragons
Inside Football's Most Unlikely Takeover

In the grey-skied industrial town of Wrexham, where Ian Herbert masterfully sets the scene, the unlikely marriage of Hollywood glamour and grassroots football created a story almost too fantastical to believe. Herbert, with his characteristic attention to detail and profound understanding of both sporting culture and human nature, paints a vivid picture of a community transformed.
The author brilliantly captures the moment when Reynolds and McElhenney first appeared on the Zoom call with the Wrexham Supporters Trust. The collective intake of breath, the initial disbelief, and the cautious optimism that followed are rendered with such precision that readers feel as though they're witnessing it firsthand. Herbert's careful research shines through as he reveals the behind-the-scenes negotiations that led to this extraordinary moment. What makes Herbert's narrative particularly compelling is his ability to weave together the town's industrial heritage with its newfound spotlight. He describes how the Racecourse Ground, the world's oldest international football stadium still in use, stood as a silent witness to the town's struggles through decades of economic decline, only to become the unlikely stage for a Hollywood production.
The transformation wasn't just about football, as Herbert keenly observes. The transformation revolved around hope, community, and the strength of pursuing ambitious dreams. Through intimate interviews and careful observation, he reveals how local businesses began to flourish, how global media attention brought unexpected opportunities, and how the town's collective self-image began to shift.
Perhaps most poignantly, Herbert captures the delicate balance between maintaining the club's authentic Welsh identity and embracing its new American influence. His description of local fans teaching Reynolds and McElhenney proper Welsh pronunciations—including the crucial difference between "Wrexham" and "Wrecksam"—adds both humour and humanity to this remarkable tale.
The author's journalistic background serves him well, as he meticulously documents the club's journey from the National League to their dreams of Football League status. Through carefully crafted prose, he brings to life the tension of crucial matches, the anxiety of financial decisions, and the pure joy of unexpected victories.
ROYAL MAIL TRACKED 48
Publisher: Visit HEADLINE
Published: July 4, 2024
Price: £12.99
Paperback: 400 pages
ISBN-10: 1035407736
ISBN-13: 978-1035407736
Dimensions: 128 x 192 (mm)

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