Brady's bunch takes the spoils in season's first 'Hollywood derby'

LONDON — NFL great Tom Brady got the better of movie stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in the unlikely surroundings of English third-tier soccer, as Birmingham beat Wrexham 3-1 in the "Hollywood derby" on Monday.

Brady is a minority shareholder in Birmingham, which is looking to make a quick return to the English second tier, while Reynolds and McElhenney are co-owners of current League One leader Wrexham, which is chasing a third successive promotion.

The clash at Birmingham's St Andrew's ground featured considerably more off-field star power in the stands than was present on the pitch.

Brady was seated next to former England soccer captain David Beckham, one of Beckham's sons and high-profile TV pundit Gary Neville, who played alongside Beckham for both Manchester United and England.

McElhenney was also present, as Wrexham suffered its first league loss of the season to still unbeaten Birmingham.

Deadpool star Reynolds and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor McElhenney bought Wrexham in 2020. Their takeover has been chronicled in the Emmy Award-winning docuseries Welcome to Wrexham, which has given the Welsh club a global cult following.

Wrexham has since enjoyed a remarkable rise from the fifth-tier National League to League One with back-to-back promotions.

Birmingham, in contrast, has endured the darkest period in its recent history since the 2023 takeover headed by US-based businessman Tom Wagner.

Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion as the star quarterback for the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, bought a minority stake in the club in 2023, just months after retiring following 23 seasons in the NFL.

But, Birmingham was relegated to League One last season for the first time since 1995, with Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney — sacked following a miserable 83-day reign — among six managers used by the Blues in a chaotic campaign.

Former Tottenham assistant coach Chris Davies appears to be restoring order, however, with Monday's win taking Birmingham level on points with Wrexham, with a game in hand.

Striker Jack Marriott gave Wrexham the lead after just three minutes, but Birmingham's 10-million-pound ($13 million) signing Jay Stansfield went some way to repaying an expensive transfer fee by equalizing for the Blues in the 22nd minute, before heading the host in front in the 52nd.

Seven minutes later, Japan midfielder Tomoki Iwata's superb strike made it 3-1.

But, as with all the best Hollywood thrillers, there was a late twist, with Birmingham reduced to 10 men when Polish midfielder Krystian Bielik was sent off for a second yellow card after a reckless challenge on Andy Cannon.

Even so, there was never any danger of Wrexham masterminding the kind of "comeback drive "associated with Brady's stellar career as the sportsman's team defeated the actors' side.

Despite all the hype and star power surrounding the fixture, the feet of Blues manager Davies remained firmly on the ground.

"All the stuff around the game is good for the club, and good for other people, but, for me, this was no different to Rotherham away at the weekend," he told the BBC.

Glamorgan overtures

Meanwhile, Glamorgan County Cricket Club confirmed Monday that Reynolds and McElhenney had been approached about expanding their investment into British sport by taking a stake in the cricket team Welsh Fire, one of the franchises participating in The Hundred competition.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has handed a 51 percent stake in each of the teams that compete in The Hundred to the host venues, and is currently seeking bidders for the remaining 49 percent.

The Hundred has proved controversial as, unlike all other domestic competitions in English cricket, it does not involve the traditional 18 first-class counties, but rather eight specially-created city-based sides, all featuring a men's and women's team.

There is, however, significant overlap given all participating teams in The Hundred are headquartered at established cricket venues, with Glamorgan's Sophia Gardens in Cardiff providing the base for Welsh Fire.

Tentative enquiries have been made about whether Wrexham's Hollywood duo would be interested in investing in Welsh Fire, widely regarded as one of the less commercially attractive teams in The Hundred, compared to the two most sought-after sides stationed in London at Lord's and the Oval.

"It is a feasible option," Glamorgan chief executive Dan Cherry told the ESPNcricinfo website.

"Contact has been made. There's not been anything substantial come back yet, but we're in the process, and I know that they'll certainly be included in any process going forward. All bids and offers that are going to come in are going to be interesting to us."

AFP