WREXHAM, Wales (Reuters) – Neither hosts Wrexham or Birmingham City earned bragging rights in the “Hollywood derby” with a 1-1 draw on Thursday, in the battle between celebrity-owned clubs gunning for promotion from England’s League One.
The game pitted Wrexham’s owners and Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney against Birmingham minority owner and former NFL quarterback Tom Brady.
CBS broadcast the match across the United States and “immersive reality” domes in Los Angeles and Dallas offered viewing for nearly 3,000 fans. The Los Angeles event was used as a fundraiser for victims of the city’s wildfires that killed 28 people.
Wrexham’s popularity has soared since Reynolds, a Canadian, and American McElhenney purchased the team in 2021 and launched the award-winning documentary “Welcome to Wrexham”, turning the town in north Wales into a popular tourist destination for Canadians and Americans.
Brady, a seven-times Super Bowl winner, bought a minority share of Birmingham in 2023.
Channing Tatum, Eva Longoria, Hugh Jackman, Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell are among the Hollywood A-listers who have attended Wrexham games at the Racecourse Ground.
Oliver Rathbone gave Wrexham the lead after nine minutes, but Birmingham hit back through Lyndon Dykes in the 18th minute.
Birmingham top the League One table with 57 points, five points ahead of third-placed Wrexham.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing, additional reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Ed Osmond)
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