When Bruce and I asked our tour leader, Tom, if our day in Wales would take us anywhere close to the town of Wrexham, he said we would be going right through there on the way back to Chester.  “Why?” he asked, and when we explained, he smiled and offered to drop us off right at our destination: The Turf Pub.

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Bruce and I are only occasional drinkers, so why would we want to go to a pub—and, that pub in particular?  Welcome to Wrexham.  It’s an award-winning docuseries we read about in a short write-up in The Week and started watching during the second season.  We enjoyed it so much, we went back and watched all of Season 1, and then continued watching through Season 3.  (Season 4 begins in spring of 2025).

The Emmy-winning series, often filmed at The Turf Pub, which is located next door to the stadium, follows Wrexham A.F.C., the Welsh football (soccer) club. But the series isn’t just about football or the team; it’s also about the people of the town who follow their team with unmatched loyalty.  

This team—and the pub—has a rich history.  Founded in 1864, the club is the third oldest professional association football team in the world.  At the time it was founded, Wrexham was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution and a hub for coal and lead mining; the production of iron, steel, and leather; and brewing.

The Turf Pub was established on Wrexham A.F.C.’s stadium grounds, and it’s the oldest public house at any sports stadium worldwide.  It’s THE home base for the fans and THE place to gather following the games. 

For many years, Wrexham was a booming industrial town, but then the 20^th century— and de-industrialization —happened.  The town fell on hard times, and the only thing that seemed to keep spirits up for its people was Wrexham A.F.C. 

Enter Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, two actors who came on to the Wrexham scene in September of 2020 and announced they were buying the team.  By February of 2021, the deal was done, they infused a TON of money into the club, and The Red Dragons began their ascent up the ladder.  What used to be a fifth-tier team (bottom rung; lower than the Premier League and the three tiers of the English Football League) worked its way up in the rankings to the top tier of the EFL with the goal of making it to the Premier League.

These two guys are considered heroes in Wrexham, because they saved the team from mismanagement and near-collapse.  And, not only have they put their money into Wrexham A.F.C.; but they have invested their hearts and souls into the team, the players, the fans, the community, and, yes, The Turf Pub.

In August of 2022, the premier of Welcome to Wrexham aired, and it has won 8 Emmy awards and a few other prestigious awards during their first three seasons. 

The series, at times, is hilarious and irreverent, and at other times, heartbreaking.  It doesn’t just follow the highs and lows of the team; it also features the ups and downs of its players, staff, and fans.  Everything from stillbirth to autism, and mental health to divorce has been covered, along with the celebrations of team wins.

In one word, we are hooked.

When we learned how close Chester was to Wales, we looked up the team’s home game schedule and discovered we were in luck!  August 24, our day in Wales, was a home game against Reading.  We figured we would get to Wrexham too late to attend the game, but we knew The Turf Pub would be hoppin’ afterward! 

We hoped to meet Wayne Jones, the owner.  He seemed like a great guy on the show, we enjoyed reading his story on the pub’s website, and he was nice enough to email me back when I wrote to him.

When we arrived about an hour after the game had ended, the large crowd still spilled over into the parking lot.  A film crew was interviewing some fans for the show, and I immediately spotted Wayne.  He was very busy, but graciously paused for this photo:

Inside the pub, there were wall-to-wall people and the music was booming.  We just took it all in, recognizing the memorabilia on the walls from the TV series, and watching the fans celebrate the team’s win.

There was nowhere to sit, but a local couple with two seats to spare at their table invited us to join them.  Chris and John were warm and welcoming, and we immediately hit it off. 

All of a sudden the entire pub broke out in song.  Somebody started, and everyone joined in with cheers and chants for Wrexham A.F.C.  The Welsh love to sing, and all it takes is one belted-out note, and then it catches on like wildfire!

It was fun being outsiders among the locals and getting to know Chris and John.  This is what travel is all about (for us) and the reason Tom smiled when we told him our plan.  It’s not just about the sights; people are what make a place.

Coming up next: UNITED KINGDOM #4: THE LOVELY LAKE DISTRICT