Charlton manager's two-word comment on Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham gets torn apart

Wales Online

23-04-2025

Charlton manager's two-word comment on Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham gets torn apart
Wrexham are on the brink of a third successive promotion under Phil Parkinson, with Nathan Jones' Charlton standing in their way of securing a place in the Championship
Wrexham, owned by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, have been mocked by Nathan Jones
(Image: Getty )
Wrexham supporters have blasted Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones after he labelled their club "the circus". The North Wales outfit have attracted a worldwide focus since actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney became owners in 2021, with their journey charted by the Welcome to Wrexham documentary.
Phil Parkinson's men secured a crucial 2-1 win over Blackpool on Easter Monday, edging them into a strong position for the second automatic promotion spot in League One. The victory allowed Wrexham to overtake their competitors Wycombe Wanderers, who suffered a stinging 4-0 defeat at the hands of Charlton at home.
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The Red Dragons now find themselves two points clear of the Chairboys in second place, while Charlton trail them by four points, keeping their own automatic promotion hopes alive. Wrexham and Charlton are set for a potentially decisive encounter on Saturday, which could establish who joins title winners Birmingham City in the Championship.
Wrexham could achieve what would be a remarkable third consecutive promotion under Parkinson's guidance if they beat Charlton and Wycombe fail to defeat Leyton Orient. But if Charlton win, the promotion race will be thrown wide open just before the last game of the season. In anticipation of their crucial match, Jones has fanned the flames by taking a swipe at his team's rivals.
"All we do is take a game as it comes," the South Walian said. "We are not looking at the play-offs, we are not looking at Burton at home on the final game.
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"We'll finish, we'll debrief, we'll breathe a little bit and then we'll move forward with Wrexham. It's a bumper game, we have to go to the circus and see what we can get."
Charlton manager Nathan Jones has annoyed Wrexham fans
(Image: Ben Whitley/PA Wire )
Jones' remarks didn't sit well with Wrexham fans, sparking a stir when the ITV4's EFL highlights show aired his interview. One disgruntled fan reacted to the clip on social media, remarking: "What a cheek! They'll be the ones looking like clowns."
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Echoing the sentiment, another supporter on chimed in, saying: "He should feel right at home then the clown." Elsewhere, another person commented: "Absolutely nothing against Charlton Athletic FC, but this bloke is about as dislikeable as they come."
Adding to the voices, someone else posted: "Another middle aged man trying to bow to the masses. Just puts more pressure on his team." In contrast, ahead of the key encounter with Charlton, Wrexham manager Parkinson has been rallying his squad, encouraging them to enjoy the battle.
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Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'.
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Parkinson said: "What we spoke about is making sure the lads are enjoying it, because so much work has gone to get this club in this situation. We want to look back in the summer and say that when those big games came, we really thrived. We don't want to look back and say, 'Oh, we didn't produce our best performances today'."
An impressive turnout is anticipated at the Racecourse Ground for the clash on Saturday, which is expected to be graced by the presence of Reynolds and McElhenney. McElhenney's support ahead of the Blackpool game was seen as pivotal after giving the players a motivational talk.
Sharing the advice he gave to his team, Wrexham captain James McClean said: "Yesterday we had Rob in and he had a good chat with us. [He was] just saying that all the outside noise is both good and bad and you've got to drown it out and relax. Hearing that from the owners, I think it took a bit of pressure off the lads today and I think you could see that in our play."