Football fans have been truly blessed in recent years. Different streaming services have each taken their shot at producing football documentaries, which follow top clubs from behind the scenes.
Netflix had Sunderland 'Til I Die. Amazon Prime has seen great success with their recurring All or Nothing series. But my favourite has to be Welcome to Wrexham. The show – streamed on Disney Plus – follows the unlikely story of Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, as they attempt to steer Welsh side Wrexham FC to glory.
Now, a new series is on the way. Set to premiere on September 13th, the second season picks up right where the first left off. That first season saw the side narrowly miss out on promotion from the National League.
Season two will have the same end goal – break into the fourth tier of English football. But it's not just the on-field action which the series shines a light on. This time, we also see the club battle with the newfound challenges that international acclaim brings.
I'm a really big fan of the way Disney has put this show together. It seems to strike a neat balance in lots of different areas, which really balances things out. A smattering of on-field action is paired nicely with shots from the dressing room and the training ground. As much time is spent in the boardroom as the bar outside the stadium. And appearances from the celebrity owners are balanced with tales from real-world fans.
Sure, it does have a little more Hollywood gloss than others. That's really to be expected though, given the noteworthy cast members. And it doesn't get in the way of the story at all – in fact, the juxtaposition between that and the working class surroundings is all part of the charm. I'm not the only fan, either. The series was recently nominated for six Emmy Awards – a testament to the quality of the story on show.
If you haven't seen the first season already, great news! You have time to go through all 18 episodes before the new one starts. If you have – present company very much included – it's time to binge back through it in preparation.
