English football’s FA Cup can be a bit of a puzzle to the uninitiated. It would be akin to hockey holding an in-season tournament, pitting NHL clubs full of million-dollar superstars against those from the AHL, ECHL, and even the lesser-known Federal Prospects Hockey League, where some of the players might also have day jobs as plumbers and accountants.
Can you imagine Connor McDavid and the Oilers rolling into Watertown Municipal Arena (capacity 1,523) in upstate New York to take on the Watertown Wolves? Or how about the Stanley Cup champ Florida Panthers in a state-rivalry game against the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears?
The FA Cup, in all its glory, truly is a recurring theme of David vs. Goliath. Clubs from as far down as England’s ninth tier get a chance to earn a date against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and others from the Premier League, not to mention the limelight that goes with it.
One team that is not lacking in publicity is Wrexham A.F.C.
The Dragons are a household name in North American sporting circles, thanks to their purchase by Canadian Ryan Reynolds and fellow Hollywood actor Rob McElhenney back in November of 2020 and the Emmy-winning docuseries (Welcome to Wrexham) that has captured their existence since.
Wrexham has earned two promotions in that time, moving up from the fifth tier of English football to its current home in League One. A gaggle of celebrities have taken in games along the way, only adding to the club’s cachet and a tourism boom in the town (not to mention a bit of resentment from their peers and rivals).
While Reynolds and McElhenney have stated a long-term goal of making their way to the Premiership, some success in the FA Cup would be a nice storyline to add to their arc. With the start of the tournament’s first round proper on Friday, they will again get that chance.
The season so far in League One
Many predicted that back-to-back promotions would be too much to handle, but a glance at the current League One standings shows the Dragons sitting in third spot with a 7-4-2 (W-D-L) record through 13 matches. Above them sit the recently demoted Birmingham City (minority-owned by ex-NFLer Tom Brady) and the Wycombe Wanderers, who have been a top club in the division and were even promoted to the Championship (second tier) back in 2020, only to drop back after one season.
In other words, not bad.
Still, winning isn’t easy the higher you go and a recent pair of back-to-back draws to Huddersfield and Charlton in league play are proof of that.
The roster has changed a little, but familiar faces Paul Mullin and hard-as-nails James McClean, newly appointed as captain, are still there. Also, keeper Arthur Okonkwo, who was on loan from Arsenal last season, is back on a three-year deal of his own.
Who is their FA Cup opponent?
Harrogate Town is not an unfamiliar foe for the Dragons. The two clubs were both in League Two last season, which is where the “Sulphurites” (yes, that is their nickname) still reside, currently sporting a 4-3-7 record, good for 17th spot in the 24-team loop. Prior to that, the clubs were in the National League together.
When Wrexham and Harrogate Town play on Sunday at Wetherby Road in North Yorkshire, it will be the 10th time they’ve played since 2017. Both games between them last year ended in draws (0-0 and 2-2).
What is at stake?
The FA Cup is a lose-and-you’re-out event. A win and Wrexham will advance to the Second Round on Nov. 30. The Third Round, which takes place in January, then sees the Championship and Premier League clubs enter the fray. So every level gets harder.
At the same time, the pressure is firmly on those top clubs to dispense with the minnows of the lower leagues with ease, which is not always a fait accompli when their players have international duties also filling up their schedules, resulting in tired teams and lineups filled with depth players.
Last year’s FA Cup final may have featured the Manchester rivals of City and United, but it was second-tier Coventry City that took United into extra time and then penalties before falling to the eventual Cup winners.
In other words, anything can happen, which is part of the FA Cup’s distinct charm.
Having made it as far as the Fourth Round the last two years, Wrexham would sorely like to take it one step further this time around.
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