Latest news with #MyWrexhamStory
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Wrexham AFC criticised for flying to League One Wycombe match
Wrexham AFC have come under fire after using a private jet to fly to and from a League One away game against promotion rivals Wycombe Wanderers. The plane, chartered from the Jersey, travelled a total of 1,178 miles (1,896km) to take them on a 37-minute flight instead of a three-hour coach journey for the match on 15 March. In the same month, the club's co-owner, actor Ryan Reynolds, pledged to the United Nations to "engage with and advocate" for sustainable goals aimed at making the sport more environmentally friendly. Wrexham have been approached for comment. The team were only on the plane for about 250 miles out of the almost 1,200-mile total trip, with the flight taking them from Hawarden Airport in Flintshire to Oxford. The jet flew from Jersey to Hawarden to pick the team up on 14 March, before flying to Oxford and returning to did the return journey the following day. Wrexham won the match 1-0 and are currently three points ahead of their promotion rivals, having played a game more. Wrexham took 16 flights domestic flights in their promotion season from the National League two years ago. Meanwhile, research from 2023 found Premier League clubs took 81 flights out of 100 games in a two-month period, with the shortest being 27 striker Paul Mullin's book, My Wrexham Story, he said flights became a regular occurrence after a royal visit to the Racecourse Ground left the team facing a five-hour coach journey close to kick off time. He said co-owner Rob McElhenney said the team could fly to all away matches more than two hours away by road. Of Wrexham's 23 League One opponents, only eight are within a two-hour drive. Criticism of the decision to fly to the match at Wycombe was posted on TikTok by campaign group Fossil Free Football, who said the club would have spent more than an hour on the road in trips to and from airports. Flights produce greenhouse gases - mainly carbon dioxide (CO2) - from burning fuel. These contribute to global warming when released into the 2023, private flights produced an estimated 15.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide - the equivalent of 3.7 million petrol cars being driven over the course of a year, - according to Free Football said: "No-one want this problem to get worse at any level, from grassroots where 120,000 matches a season are already cancelled, to professional football where we saw things like Wimbledon pitch collapsing after a heavy storm last year."The video also called Reynolds hypocritical for visiting the UN in New York to join Football for the Goals, a UN initiative aimed at making the sport more sustainable.
The Independent
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Deadpool to outcast: What the fall of Paul Mullin at Wrexham says about the club
He has been the goal-scoring poster boy of a Wrexham team soaring through the leagues following its takeover by Hollywood celebrities. There's a giant mural of him in the center of the city. He formed such a close bond with Ryan Reynolds, one of the club's owners, that he even appeared in the last 'Deadpool' movie. Now Paul Mullin is experiencing a negative side to Wrexham 's remarkable rise — the ambitious team looks to have outgrown him. Mullin, the prolific striker who has been Wrexham's player of the season in each of the last three years, hasn't played a league game in nearly two months. With Wrexham signing two strikers in the recent transfer window to boost its bid for promotion to the second-tier Championship, the 30-year-old Mullin has dropped down the pecking order and doesn't even make the 18-man matchday squads for games these days. It's a sudden turn of events for a player who has had a leading role in the popular 'Welcome to Wrexham' fly-on-the-wall documentary created by Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to follow their progress as rookie soccer club owners. McElhenney once hailed Mullin as 'one of the greatest football players in the world,' while a bromance with Reynolds saw Mullin land a cameo as the character 'Welshpool' in the 'Deadpool & Wolverine ' hit movie. Mullin even has written a book — entitled 'My Wrexham Story' — that documents his time with the team since his transfer in July 2021, his career before moving to north Wales, and the lessons he learned from his young son's Autism diagnosis which was the subject of an episode in 'Welcome to Wrexham.' His fall in status, then, might break the hearts of fans who have sung 'Super Paul Mullin' chants inside the team's Racecourse Ground as the striker racked up more than 100 goals for Wrexham. Chris Jones, a long-time Wrexham season ticket holder, attributes Mullin's struggles to the after-effects of undergoing minor spinal surgery during the summer, and a subsequent loss of confidence. 'He just doesn't look the same,' Jones said in a phone interview. "Whether it's that injury or a mental thing. 'You were thinking, 'Well, is he going to get fit and come back to his best?' But he got worse and worse. He looks like a player who is finished, who is gone." For Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson, Mullin remains an option in an increasingly competitive squad — just not a no-brainer pick since the team signed Jay Rodriguez, a former Premier League player, and Sam Smith for 2 million pounds ($2.5 million) in January. Wrexham also has former Scotland international Steven Fletcher as a center-forward option. 'We've got a lot of strikers. It's difficult," Parkinson said this month. "We can't keep everyone involved. But we will keep assessing things, looking at training all the time and picking a team, and the bench, accordingly.' Wrexham's squad must keep evolving. After all, the team was playing in the fifth tier — outside England 's four professional leagues — just three years ago. Now, it might be a year and a half away from playing in the Premier League if the club continues on its remarkable trajectory. With a little more than a month left of the regular season, Wrexham is in second place in League One, with the top two finishers gaining automatic promotion and the next four teams entering the playoffs. On Saturday, Wrexham visits Exeter — with Mullin expected to be absent once again as speculation continues about his future.
The Independent
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
From 'Deadpool' cameo to outcast: Paul Mullin's fall at Wrexham underlines club's growing status
He has been the goal-scoring poster boy of a Wrexham team soaring through England's soccer leagues following its takeover by Hollywood celebrities. There's a giant mural of him in the center of the city. He formed such a close bond with Ryan Reynolds, one of the club's owners, that he even appeared in the last 'Deadpool' movie. Now Paul Mullin is experiencing a negative side to Wrexham's remarkable rise — the ambitious team looks to have outgrown him. Mullin, the prolific striker who has been Wrexham's player of the season in each of the last three years, hasn't played a league game in nearly two months. With Wrexham signing two strikers in the recent transfer window to boost its bid for promotion to the second-tier Championship, the 30-year-old Mullin has dropped down the pecking order and doesn't even make the 18-man matchday squads for games these days. A sudden fall It's a sudden turn of events for a player who has had a leading role in the popular 'Welcome to Wrexham' fly-on-the-wall documentary created by Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to follow their progress as rookie soccer club owners. McElhenney once hailed Mullin as 'one of the greatest football players in the world,' while a bromance with Reynolds saw Mullin land a cameo as the character 'Welshpool' in the 'Deadpool & Wolverine' hit movie. Mullin even has written a book — entitled 'My Wrexham Story' — that documents his time with the team since his transfer in July 2021, his career before moving to north Wales, and the lessons he learned from his young son's Autism diagnosis which was the subject of an episode in 'Welcome to Wrexham.' His fall in status, then, might break the hearts of fans who have sung 'Super Paul Mullin' chants inside the team's Racecourse Ground as the striker racked up more than 100 goals for Wrexham. Chris Jones, a long-time Wrexham season ticket holder, attributes Mullin's struggles to the after-effects of undergoing minor spinal surgery during the summer, and a subsequent loss of confidence. 'He just doesn't look the same,' Jones said in a phone interview. "Whether it's that injury or a mental thing. 'You were thinking, 'Well, is he going to get fit and come back to his best?' But he got worse and worse. He looks like a player who is finished, who is gone." For Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson, Mullin remains an option in an increasingly competitive squad — just not a no-brainer pick since the team signed Jay Rodriguez, a former Premier League player, and Sam Smith for 2 million pounds ($2.5 million) in January. Wrexham also has former Scotland international Steven Fletcher as a center-forward option. 'We've got a lot of strikers. It's difficult," Parkinson said this month. "We can't keep everyone involved. But we will keep assessing things, looking at training all the time and picking a team, and the bench, accordingly.' Heading for another promotion Wrexham's squad must keep evolving. After all, the team was playing in the fifth tier — outside England 's four professional leagues — just three years ago. Now, it might be a year and a half away from playing in the Premier League if the club continues on its remarkable trajectory. With a little more than a month left of the regular season, Wrexham is in second place in League One, with the top two finishers gaining automatic promotion and the next four teams entering the playoffs. On Saturday, Wrexham visits Exeter — with Mullin expected to be absent once again as speculation continues about his future. ___
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
From 'Deadpool' cameo to outcast: Paul Mullin's fall at Wrexham underlines club's growing status
He has been the goal-scoring poster boy of a Wrexham team soaring through England's soccer leagues following its takeover by Hollywood celebrities. There's a giant mural of him in the center of the city. He formed such a close bond with Ryan Reynolds, one of the club's owners, that he even appeared in the last 'Deadpool' movie. Now Paul Mullin is experiencing a negative side to Wrexham's remarkable rise — the ambitious team looks to have outgrown him. Mullin, the prolific striker who has been Wrexham's player of the season in each of the last three years, hasn't played a league game in nearly two months. With Wrexham signing two strikers in the recent transfer window to boost its bid for promotion to the second-tier Championship, the 30-year-old Mullin has dropped down the pecking order and doesn't even make the 18-man matchday squads for games these days. A sudden fall It's a sudden turn of events for a player who has had a leading role in the popular 'Welcome to Wrexham' fly-on-the-wall documentary created by Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to follow their progress as rookie soccer club owners. McElhenney once hailed Mullin as 'one of the greatest football players in the world,' while a bromance with Reynolds saw Mullin land a cameo as the character 'Welshpool' in the 'Deadpool & Wolverine' hit movie. Mullin even has written a book — entitled 'My Wrexham Story' — that documents his time with the team since his transfer in July 2021, his career before moving to north Wales, and the lessons he learned from his young son's Autism diagnosis which was the subject of an episode in 'Welcome to Wrexham.' His fall in status, then, might break the hearts of fans who have sung 'Super Paul Mullin' chants inside the team's Racecourse Ground as the striker racked up more than 100 goals for Wrexham. Chris Jones, a long-time Wrexham season ticket holder, attributes Mullin's struggles to the after-effects of undergoing minor spinal surgery during the summer, and a subsequent loss of confidence. 'He just doesn't look the same,' Jones said in a phone interview. "Whether it's that injury or a mental thing. 'You were thinking, 'Well, is he going to get fit and come back to his best?' But he got worse and worse. He looks like a player who is finished, who is gone." For Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson, Mullin remains an option in an increasingly competitive squad — just not a no-brainer pick since the team signed Jay Rodriguez, a former Premier League player, and Sam Smith for 2 million pounds ($2.5 million) in January. Wrexham also has former Scotland international Steven Fletcher as a center-forward option. 'We've got a lot of strikers. It's difficult," Parkinson said this month. "We can't keep everyone involved. But we will keep assessing things, looking at training all the time and picking a team, and the bench, accordingly.' Heading for another promotion Wrexham's squad must keep evolving. After all, the team was playing in the fifth tier — outside England's four professional leagues — just three years ago. Now, it might be a year and a half away from playing in the Premier League if the club continues on its remarkable trajectory. With a little more than a month left of the regular season, Wrexham is in second place in League One, with the top two finishers gaining automatic promotion and the next four teams entering the playoffs. On Saturday, Wrexham visits Exeter — with Mullin expected to be absent once again as speculation continues about his future. ___ Steve Douglas is at ___ AP soccer: Steve Douglas, The Associated Press
Associated Press
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
From ‘Deadpool' cameo to outcast: Paul Mullin's fall at Wrexham underlines club's growing status
He has been the goal-scoring poster boy of a Wrexham team soaring through England's soccer leagues following its takeover by Hollywood celebrities. There's a giant mural of him in the center of the city. He formed such a close bond with Ryan Reynolds, one of the club's owners, that he even appeared in the last 'Deadpool' movie. Now Paul Mullin is experiencing a negative side to Wrexham's remarkable rise — the ambitious team looks to have outgrown him. Mullin, the prolific striker who has been Wrexham's player of the season in each of the last three years, hasn't played a league game in nearly two months. With Wrexham signing two strikers in the recent transfer window to boost its bid for promotion to the second-tier Championship, the 30-year-old Mullin has dropped down the pecking order and doesn't even make the 18-man matchday squads for games these days. A sudden fall It's a sudden turn of events for a player who has had a leading role in the popular 'Welcome to Wrexham' fly-on-the-wall documentary created by Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to follow their progress as rookie soccer club owners. McElhenney once hailed Mullin as 'one of the greatest football players in the world,' while a bromance with Reynolds saw Mullin land a cameo as the character 'Welshpool' in the 'Deadpool & Wolverine' hit movie. Mullin even has written a book — entitled 'My Wrexham Story' — that documents his time with the team since his transfer in July 2021, his career before moving to north Wales, and the lessons he learned from his young son's Autism diagnosis which was the subject of an episode in 'Welcome to Wrexham.' His fall in status, then, might break the hearts of fans who have sung 'Super Paul Mullin' chants inside the team's Racecourse Ground as the striker racked up more than 100 goals for Wrexham. Chris Jones, a long-time Wrexham season ticket holder, attributes Mullin's struggles to the after-effects of undergoing minor spinal surgery during the summer, and a subsequent loss of confidence. 'He just doesn't look the same,' Jones said in a phone interview. 'Whether it's that injury or a mental thing. 'You were thinking, 'Well, is he going to get fit and come back to his best?' But he got worse and worse. He looks like a player who is finished, who is gone.' For Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson, Mullin remains an option in an increasingly competitive squad — just not a no-brainer pick since the team signed Jay Rodriguez, a former Premier League player, and Sam Smith for 2 million pounds ($2.5 million) in January. Wrexham also has former Scotland international Steven Fletcher as a center-forward option. 'We've got a lot of strikers. It's difficult,' Parkinson said this month. 'We can't keep everyone involved. But we will keep assessing things, looking at training all the time and picking a team, and the bench, accordingly.' Heading for another promotion Wrexham's squad must keep evolving. After all, the team was playing in the fifth tier — outside England's four professional leagues — just three years ago. Now, it might be a year and a half away from playing in the Premier League if the club continues on its remarkable trajectory. With a little more than a month left of the regular season, Wrexham is in second place in League One, with the top two finishers gaining automatic promotion and the next four teams entering the playoffs. On Saturday, Wrexham visits Exeter — with Mullin expected to be absent once again as speculation continues about his future. ___
