When Wrexham's first Hollywood season ended in final-game tears

Breaking news from the world of sport: When Wrexham's first Hollywood season ended in final-game tears Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Wrexham drew 1-1 at Dagenham on the final day of the 2020-21 season to end their National League play-off hopes. Sub Paul Rutherford was sent off just ten minutes into the second-half By Chris Wathan Sport Wales Published 7 hours ago The red carpet was out again for Wrexham in Los Angeles. Celebrity co-chairmen Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac were in the spotlight at the launch of the latest series of the documentary that has put the north Wales club on a global stage.

Of course, with Saturday's decisive day to come, the final episodes are yet to have their ending. A win over Middlesbrough is essential for a place in the play-offs and even then could still not be enough. Anything other than a victory leaves it up to fate.

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This is something Paul Rutherford knows all too well; his tears in a Dagenham dressing room are a reminder that not even a Hollywood-owned club gets to write their own scripts. It was five years ago that the wide midfielder was sent off as Wrexham failed to win on the final day of the season and saw rivals winning elsewhere take their play-off spot by a solitary point. "It felt like my world was imploding, that I'd let a lot of good people down," Rutherford says of the images of him alone in the changing room, first angry and then in anguish, after a straight red for a rash challenge.

The heartbreaking emotion was all captured by the cameras. Wrexham drew 1-1 and would remain exiled from the EFL for another year, this time with the world watching. Ryan Reynolds' amusing gift idea ahead of Welcome to Wrexham fifth season Published 18 hours ago Wrexham season a success regardless of play-off bid - Harvey Published 19 hours ago One of the club's longest-serving players at the time, Rutherford knew it was more than just the ambition of getting out of non-league that had been on the line.

Manager Dean Keates was sacked the next day. Rutherford was released the day after, along with 10 others. "And the rest is history," Rutherford chuckles with some hindsight humour.

Reactions and Expectations

Now 38, his last of nearly 200 appearances in a Wrexham shirt was that day in 2021 having spent five years at the club. He had been in the maternity ward awaiting the arrival of his third son when he found out he wouldn't be going back, missing out on what would turn out to be a rapid ascent through the divisions under lister ownership. "We actually thought it was going to be Russell Crowe," he laughs of the time the rumours of a film star takeover began in September 2020, with games still behind Covid's closed doors.

"I can remember the talk before a friendly with Cefn Druids at the Racecourse and someone had mentioned that he'd had a grandfather from Wrexham - so we were getting bought by Gladiator.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.