Ryan Reynolds recently described how he felt watching Wrexham’s famous 3-2 win against Notts County last season.
Last season will live long in the memory of Wrexham fans. The club, which had spent fifteen years out of the Football League, were finally promoted back to the fourth tier of English Football after winning the National League with a record 111 points.
It was a rollercoaster season with far more ups than downs, however, one game in particular stands out. Wrexham vs rivals Notts County was dubbed the biggest in the history of the National League, and boy did it deliver.
How the National League game of the century played out
The two teams were neck and neck for much of the season, with only one team guaranteed automatic promotion.
When the teams met at the Racecourse Ground in April, the stakes could not have been higher. Both teams had already amassed 100 points, and both had scored 106 goals.
However, with a game in hand, a win for the North Wales club would see the odds of them winning the league significantly swing back in their favour.
The game was perfectly balanced and had the eyes of the football world watching on with bated breath to see who would come out victorious.
Notts County went 1-0 up, only for Wrexham star striker Paul Mullin to level the game just after the restart. Wrexham then took the lead before being pegged back to 2-2 in the 75th minute.
The home side took a 3-2 lead just minutes after thanks to a goal from Elliot Lee. Wrexham looked to be seeing the game out before County were awarded a penalty in the sixth minute of added time.
However, former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster wrote himself into Wrexham folklore, making an exceptional save to ensure the 3-2 win and all three points.
It was a pulsating end-to-end contest that had all the twists and turns befitting of a Hollywood project by co-owner’s Reynolds and McElhenney.
“Actual hell”: Ryan Reynolds describes what it was like watching that win
Rob and Ryan were in attendance at the Racecourse Ground on that famous day, with the former kissing Ben Foster on the lips after his 97th minute penalty save.
The Hollywood pair recently sat down with Variety where they discussed the trials and tribulations of owning the club, as well as the process behind the Welcome to Wrexham series.
They were asked about bouncing back from missing out on promotion the season before, and Ryan provided some insight into how he was feeling during the Notts Count game.
“I’m so grateful for the experiences of that first big season,” he said. “Even with the fact that the club didn’t get promoted, because it laid the groundwork for one of the most exciting seasons, I think, in National League football history.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt anxiety ratcheted up like [at the end of the 2022-23 season]. It wasn’t enjoyable for me. It was hell going into the Notts County game this year, actual hell.
“The fact that the team managed to pull it out in the last second was so perfectly Wrexham. Wrexham always finds some way to string out the drama until you’re quite convinced your heart has beat its last beat. There’s that football expression that Rob taught me: “Squeaky bum time.” I now completely understand squeaky bum time.”
The victory proved decisive in the run-in as Wrexham finished four points ahead of Notts County in the National League.
Both teams will meet again next season in League Two after County clinched promotion with a win over Chesterfield in the playoff final.