A Trip to Wrexham for Football & More

My first trip to Wales was to watch a Wrexham football match, but I was really surprised at all the other things that this charming town had to offer. Check out why you should come to Wrexham – and not just for the football.

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, education or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.

Intro Music: Battle now 02
Musician: Xuxiao

Music: 1st Contact
Artist: Duty Free

Okay, football fans, get ready to roll your eyes because this American is taking his first trip to Wales to go to a Rexom game. Rexom is the fourth largest city in Wales. It was a thriving mining and manufacturing town in its heyday, but it fell on hard times. But this charming workingass town is back on the rise. Much of that is thanks to two American celebrities who bought the Rexom Football Club. So, I decided to take the train to North Wales, go to a match, and enjoy the Rexom experience. Even though we’re primarily going for the game, this is my first time in Wales, and I’m kind of excited to explore and see what else Rexom has in store for us. The trip to Rexom is pleasant and scenic. It’s just 2 hours by train from Houston station to Chester. Then just 15 minutes on the transport for Wales train to Rexom Central. So we’ve arrived at Rexom. The only difference I hear was the train announcements in Welsh and that is one strange language. We’re definitely still in the UK. All I see is pubs on the way to the hotel. So my first impression of Rexom is it’s quite quiet. My second is the weather is perfect. I expected it would be cloudy, rainy, windy, but uh it’s quite nice. The center of town features a lot of arcades and alleyways with all sorts of businesses, pubs, and restaurants. Has that small European town vibe that I really enjoy. So, we’re staying at the Winday Arms, and that’s about a 15-minute walk to the football stadium. No one will ever confuse the Windstay Arms with the Ritz, but they gave us a complimentary upgrade on our room after a problem with the original room. And the hotel pub is really nice. It’s also right around the corner from St. Giles Church, but we’ll visit that later. All right, after that train ride, we’re checked in and now my wife and I are going to get lunch at the Fat Boore. Regular viewers of my channel will know how much I love my food. And we were lucky this place was right near our hotel. It had an outdoor seating area, friendly service, and the weather was just perfect. Speaking of great service, Olivia just arrived with my food. Bacon wrapped chicken stuffed with black pudding and a Rexom logger. Pretty happy right now. Believe me, it was every bit as good as it looked. Rexom is a small town. You should easily be able to find this place. Don’t miss it. All right, it’s time to gear up before the game. Rexom is the oldest club in Wales and the third oldest in the world. So, there’s a lot of history. But the success and popularity of the club has mirrored the economic situation of the town. The late 20th century saw the manufacturing and mining industry fall on hard times and close. But thanks to the investment and subsequent success of the football club, Rexum has drawn tourists and fans of the show which has contributed to the comeback of the town. Nothing like tourists with money to spend. Now it’s time to make our way to the stadium for the match. Racecourse Ground is the world’s oldest international football stadium. It’s been around since 1877, but the American investors have put a lot of money into it, so it doesn’t really show its age. So behind me is the turf. That’s the pub on the grounds that everybody goes to before the game. So let’s head in there and get ourselves a pint. Fans of the Welcome to Rexom show should be very familiar with the pub as there’s a lot of scenes filmed there. There’s a lot of historical club memorabilia on the wall, but there’s also several reminders of the new ownership on the show. I asked several people what they think of all the Americans suddenly becoming fans and infiltrating their town. Most everyone was positive and happy about the effect that it’s had on the community and the club. Ryan Reynolds and Rob Malini’s investment has resulted in three consecutive promotions for the first time ever in English football and everyone loves a winner. Today’s match is against Reading and it is in the League Cup, otherwise known as the Carabal Cup. It’s one of three domestic cups in England. Rexell’s priority this season is to not get relegated back down a tier, but it’s always nice to do well in a domestic cup. As in any league football stadium, there’s no beer in the stands, but it’s kind of cool to hang out with everybody and drink down here. Kickoff is near, so it’s time to get to the seats. One great thing about Rexom, it’s a really familyfriendly atmosphere. It’s kind of jarring to see no seats at the end of the other goal, but as Rexom has shot up through the league, they have to expand the stadium to accommodate all the new fans. And that’s where the new stands are going to go to expand the stadium to 18,000 seats. But let’s focus on tonight’s game as they kick off. You might be wondering why I keep talking about English football when we’re in Wales. Well, in 1992, Wales created their own league, but five teams decided that they wanted to stay in the English league to give them a better chance to play internationally. Rexom’s opponent, Reading, is a tier below them in the pyramid. Maybe they’re being a little bit tentative or conservative, but the first half’s going kind of slow. So, that’s the half. It’s nil nil. Not a whole lot of action that half, but Rexen’s coming down to our side and hopefully we’ll see some scoring here. All right, one nil. Clearly a very happy crowd here. I can’t get over how nice this stadium is. The pitch is immaculate and the stands are new. Really impressive. I didn’t get the second one on video, but Rexom just scored again and they pretty much clinched this game. And there’s the final whistle. There we go. Full time final two-nil Rexom. Much better second half than first. Rexom is moving on. Although lower tier teams never even make the finals of the Carabal Cup, I think Rexom can be proud that they’ve made at least the final 16. That was very enjoyable. Great stadium experience. Now we’re going to head back to the hotel, maybe get a pint on the way. I was a little surprised at the crowd outside the stadium. No chanting, no taunting, no fights. I guess they’re just more well behaved here in Wales. We’re back at the hotel. Maybe one pint, but then to bed because we can do some exploring tomorrow. So, it’s the morning after. Our train comes at about noon. So, we have a little bit of time. Had a rough night. The fire alarm went off. They had to evacuate the hotel. But everything was saved because we found Christina’s Cafe. This breakfast was awesome. And if you’re anywhere in Rexom, I would recommend this very highly. The service was great and the food was dynamite. But now we’re off to check out Rexum’s most visible landmark. St. Giles Church is regarded as one of the greatest examples of architecture in Wales. Built in the early 16th century, this church really impressed me. It’s got soaring ceilings, a 41 m tower, and really cool artwork inside. And if you’re an American visitor, go outside and visit the tomb of Eli Yale. Yeah, that’s the guy the university was named for. Well, that was a really nice way to wrap up our short trip. The people in Rexom were really nice. I had a great time at the game and the food was surprisingly good here. But it’s time to head back on the train to London. But first, thank you for watching. I thought this was a great experience and I’m not even a Rexom fan. I would say if you have a chance to come up here and catch a game, it is 100% worth it. Also, if you could like, subscribe, and share, and leave a comment, I would really appreciate it. Cheers.