Rob McElhenney has used wife Kaitlin Olson to highlight the C-word challenge that he faces at Wrexham alongside fellow Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds.
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Celebrity chairmen arrived in 2021Have enjoyed quite the journeyStill adjusting to British cultureGetty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?
After acquiring the Welsh outfit in a stunning takeover deal back in 2021, McElhenney and Reynolds have been eager to “respect” British culture. Those efforts are being made on and off the field, with the pair fully aware that they are stepping a long way outside of their on-screen comfort zone.
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They have been successful for the most part, with back-to-back promotions taking Wrexham from the National League and into League One. An award-winning documentary series has raised the club’s profile around the world, with there the promise of more twists and turns to come on an emotional rollercoaster.
WHAT MCELHENNEY SAID
McElhenney is, however, prepared to admit that there are quirks in the United Kingdom that take some getting used to. He has told the show: “We are very careful about using the term football and we always want to be respectful of the fact that we are outsiders – an American and a Canadian that are coming in and we want to adopt a lot of the culture and not try to change anything. But there are certain things that we can’t, that just don’t translate. There is the use of a word over there, that begins with a C, that means something very different to us here. It doesn’t translate. They use it a lot and it’s used very freely. It’s not gender specific, you hear it in general conversation. I was at a restaurant and I heard a 12-year-old call another 12-year-old this, in a joking fashion! I don’t want to code switch and have to worry about coming back and forth. I don’t want Kaitlin to scream down ‘hey, c***, check your Instagram!’”
WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?
McElhenney and Reynolds have dragged family and friends along for the ride at Wrexham, with the likes of Olson, Blake Lively, Will Ferrell, Hugh Jackman and Paul Rudd enjoying days out at SToK Racecourse. The plan is to savour many more memorable experiences, with ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ returning for series three in May as the Red Dragons begin to ready themselves for life in League One.