{"id":297652,"date":"2023-11-27T08:24:21","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T08:24:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=297652"},"modified":"2023-11-27T08:24:21","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T08:24:21","slug":"soul-of-sport-andy-hooper-from-league-two-wrexhams-racecourse-ground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/soccer\/soul-of-sport-andy-hooper-from-league-two-wrexhams-racecourse-ground\/","title":{"rendered":"SOUL OF SPORT: ANDY HOOPER from League Two Wrexham's Racecourse Ground"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Welcome back to the Soul of Sport, and Welcome to Wrexham! For our latest episode of the series, Mail Sport’s ANDY HOOPER explored the sights and fans as the Welsh club hosted Morecambe for a League Two fixture on Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The hosts are the oldest professional football club in Wales, and the third oldest anywhere in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their recent years have seen their global status increase significantly, courtesy of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who became owners of the club in 2021, and showcased the city through the Disney+ documentary ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, which has given the club a huge new profile under its new management.<\/p>\n
Rising from non-league into League Two, they now sit second in the division, following Saturday’s stunning 6-0 win over Morecambe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Our man Andy Hooper was at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday to capture the best moments, as well as the fans and the surroundings in and around Wrexham.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Wrexham are the world’s third-oldest professional football team, and were promoted to the English fourth tier earlier this year<\/p>\n
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On Saturday, they welcomed Morecambe for a league fixture, and ran out 6-0 winners with Paul Mullin scoring a hat-trick<\/p>\n
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Fans were keen to showcase their red, green and white colours at the Turf pub next to the Racecourse Ground<\/p>\n
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The stadium, which opened in 1804 and became an official football ground in 1864, pays tribute to many with this brick wall<\/p>\n
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A pair of visiting fans eating chips off a bollard outside the The Turf Pub’s butty van, which is situated near the ground<\/p>\n
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Inside the pub, there are pictures dedicated to Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, who took over Wrexham AFC in 2021<\/p>\n
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Young fans play by a local mural which boldly shows off the city’s pride in their League Two football team<\/p>\n
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Young fans were also in high numbers inside the stadium\u00a0 hoping to meet the players ahead of the match<\/p>\n
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Paul Mullins talks with a regular fan before the game, where he would go on to score three times against Morecambe<\/p>\n
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A young girl brought her Welsh Dragon toy to be photographed with Mullin, an encounter which made her day<\/p>\n
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Mullin was celebrating at the full-time whistle, while the officials shook the hands of players at the conclusion of the match<\/p>\n
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Mullin suffered a punctured lung in a pre-season game in the US, but has returned to help his team rise to second in the table<\/p>\n
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Mullin celebrated with his teammate and fellow Wrexham AFC striker Ollie Palmer during the emphatic home victory<\/p>\n
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Fans were happy to celebrate during the game, by parading a bright red and white flag in the team’s colours<\/p>\n
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Mullins left Morecambe goalkeeper Adam Smith unable to deny him from scoring three goals in the League Two clash<\/p>\n
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Fans proudly wore their red and white Wrexham scarves whilst cheering on their side to a 6-0 victory<\/p>\n
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Mullin spent three years at Morecambe between 2014 and 2017, scoring 25 goals for The Shrimps during that time period<\/p>\n
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The old Kopp stand has been demolished at the far end of the Racecourse Ground, with a city church now in the background<\/p>\n
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Morecambe’s Adam Smith joined the club initially on a short-term deal in February 2022, but has a contract for the season<\/p>\n
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A winter silhouette of a young fan in November, wearing a bright red Wrexham hat in support of their team<\/p>\n
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Fans of all ages were among the early ones into the Racecourse Stadium, soaking up the atmosphere before kick-off<\/p>\n
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Sausages being cooked up for hungry fans in the The Turf Pub’s butty van outside Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground<\/p>\n