The landlord of a pub in Wrexham that is fast becoming an unlikely celebrity hotspot has offered emotional thanks to all of the football fans - both famous and not - who have passed through the doors since Wrexham gained their promotion back to the English Football League.
Wayne Jones recently welcomed Ant-Man star Paul Rudd, as well as Marvel filmmaker Joe Russo into The Turf pub, which is near to Wrexham AFC’s Racecourse Ground.
That’s on top of visits from the club’s hugely popular - and now successful - owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
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It’s a lot to take in for the owner of a small pub in North Wales, but Wayne and his team have seemingly done a great job dealing with the recent influx, and they’re grateful for the patronage during difficult times for pubs across the UK and beyond.
As the National League season came to a close, the landlord posted on Facebook: “What an incredible 9 months that was.
“I’m sat here filled with nothing but pride and emotion.
“To every single person that has visited us this season, be it from Wrexham or Wyoming I say a huge Thank you. Thank you for allowing us to host you.
“To my wife and my staff. You are simply amazing. The real heartbeat of the place. The ones who keep me positive and sane! Thank you.
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“See you in August.”
He concluded: “Football league baby.”
Just the other day, Jones was explaining how Paul Rudd’s team had contacted the pub before his visit, letting them know that they’d be popping in for a pint.
Speaking to BBC, Jones explained: "He was lovely, as was [film director] Joe Russo who he was with. Yeah really nice guys, they just wanted to be a part of it and soak in the atmosphere.
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"Somebody made contact in the week and said could we take care of them, they want to come in and have a beer.
"But yeah, you never know who's going to turn up here next really.”
He also said that the pub had to close for a bit on Saturday (22 April) after it was quite literally drunk dry by thirsty punters wanting to get in on the celebrations.
He told BBC News: "They've completely drank us dry.
“It was bonkers, we had probably 450 people outside, and god knows how many hundreds inside - we were up to capacity in both.”
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They managed to get an emergency delivery in, thankfully.
It’s been tiring, it’s been emotional, but it’s been ultimately rewarding and a great experience for the publican, who added: "We've actually shut for the first time in 15 years that we've been here.
"I'm tired, exhausted actually. It's been a long nine months, but worth every second. Still a bit emotional, woke up with a few tears."
Well, Wayne and his team would do well to get some rest in, because it’s likely to be another big season next year for the pub, as well as the club.
Topics: UK News, Food And Drink, Celebrity, Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, Wrexham FC
Tom Wood