Wrexham's transformation from plucky underdog to real League One promotion candidates has resulted in a dip in popularity, director Shaun Harvey says.
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Reynolds & McElhenney brought global fame to WrexhamDirector says popularity has dropped off in EnglandRed Dragons no longer 'plucky little underdog'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Wrexham have rocketed to worldwide fame since Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's takeover of the club. The success of Disney+ documentary series Welcome To Wrexham has helped the Red Dragons attract fans from around the world.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Their rise from the fifth-tier of English football to League One with incredible back-to-back promotions has backfired on the Welsh team, Harvey says, as the director feels football fans in England no longer have an affinity for them.
WHAT SHAUN HARVEY SAID
"Wrexham was the underdog in the UK when we started, but not necessarily because we were the poorest club," Harvey said at a supporters' event in New York. "We weren’t since Rob and Ryan came in, but the town of Wrexham was the underdog. It had been downtrodden for 15 years in terms of its football and industries had left the town. It was in despair and people wanted to get out and not get in. “We got to this position where we could be everybody's favourite second team, because nobody saw Wrexham as a challenge.
"It was acceptable all of a sudden to be a Wrexham fan, as well as being a Manchester United fan, or a Liverpool fan, or any other club that you wanted to support. That positioning actually made us universally popular. Now, how popular we are is waning in certain places in the UK. We've gone from being this plucky little underdog, to all of a sudden we're a threat, and people don't like that as much."
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?
Phil Parkinson's team are aiming for a third consecutive promotion to the Championship this season. They are currently third in League One and four points behind Wycombe, who have a game in hand.