Welcome to Wrexham Season 5, Episode 4, “Wales Forever,” explores different perspectives as players try to make the most of being a part of Wrexham AFC. Relatedly, the documentary series continues to spotlight the Welsh culture, language, and traditions. “Wales Forever” makes a great editing choice to weave Eisteddfod and anecdotes from there throughout the episode.
The women’s team may not show up on the pitch, which is a bit disappointing, but they are at Eisteddfod. Lili Jones is one of the honorees! Welcome to Wrexham always makes the intentional choice to engage with and spotlight Wales. “Wales Forever” continues those efforts, for example, as it gets to know Nathan Broadhead and catches up with Max Cleworth.
Even as this episode covers a lot of (figurative and literal) ground, it takes the lead from the previous episode regarding narrative balance and pacing. Welcome to Wrexham Season 5 continues to improve as it juggles more and more. “Wales Forever” even includes a derby match with Swansea and doesn’t buckle under the pressure. The docuseries finds new momentum through it.
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The Accessibility of Football
One of the best parts of “Wales Forever” is how it turns the spotlight on the Wrexham AFC Powerchair team. Will Rees is such a character that Welcome to Wrexham revives its Enthusiasm Counter for him. (Phil Parkinson may have beaten Rees’s record later in the episode, but it wouldn’t have made a comeback without Rees.) As a James McClean fan, I also can’t help but appreciate the comparison Rees makes between him and McClean. That connection tees “Wales Forever” up for its tag, revealing that Rees was the mascot for a game and came out of the tunnel alongside McClean.
Even though they’re on different Wrexham AFC squads, the docuseries rightfully presents both people as integral parts of the larger football club. It doesn’t differentiate them but unites them, as Rees says, “It’s changed the way I see myself because I’m now a Wrexham player.” There’s an intention to elevate the importance of accessibility in football. As Humphrey Ker, Wrexham AFC’s Community director and Welcome to Wrexham’s best speaker, shares, “It’s incumbent upon us who have the luxury of participating, playing, whatever it may be, with and for the club to expand that opportunity to as many people as we possibly can. Football’s for everyone, really. I think the more that it’s accessible and available to more people, the better.”
The episode then backs that quote up with actionable efforts, like investing in new powerchairs and showing what it means to the Wrexham AFC Powerchair team. As Will Rees showed up for the men’s team, it is important to see the men’s team show up for the powerchair team. It is really endearing to see Danny Ward and Jay Rodriguez, and even Phil Parkinson, show their support. It’s a low bar, really, but it matters. All the while, Welcome to Wrexham may illuminate this branch of Wrexham AFC that some fans of the show or the club may not know as much about, for whatever reason. In turn, “Wales Forever” could inspire someone to get more involved in efforts to make sports more accessible at Wrexham AFC or closer to home.
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The Wrexham Spirit
This episode focuses on how there’s so much hope and pride in being a part of a team, let alone one at Wrexham AFC. Welcome to Wrexham also examines the other side of that coin. It addresses the personal sacrifices and stakes of the sport with Nathan Broadhead. The docuseries’ sentimental tendencies really bolster Broadhead’s emotional confessions about not having a childhood in favor of following his dreams. “Wales Forever” acknowledges how surreal it is that Broadhead lived on his own from 12 to 18. It finds a particularly effective angle with his parents, Stephanie and Mark. They share how they missed seeing their son grow up. Welcome to Wrexham finds such a comparison in reflecting on that family dynamic, while Broadhead anticipates the family he’s starting with his girlfriend, Nicole Lane.
Admittedly, “Wales Forever” pulls the viewer – or at least this one – out of the emotion of it all. It shoehorns in an ad from the club’s sponsor, Ancestry. Instead of adding to the episode’s efforts, it detracts and distracts from them. On the other hand, “Wales Forever” does an incredible retrospective on Max Cleworth’s trajectory at the club, which continues even now. It’s a wild reflection of his growth and presence that he’s the only player who has been there since the takeover. As the previous episode did with Josh Windass and Kieffer Moore, this one does an excellent job blending Broadhead and Cleworth’s narratives into a big game. The latter are two standout players who make a difference on the pitch in that Swansea City match.
That rivalry is so interesting. Welcome to Wrexham is so self-aware about the Disney of it all that Swansea fans’ critiques practically fall flat. It doesn’t help Swansea’s argument, which the documentary presents them as less aware of, that their new co-owner is Snoop Dogg. Regardless, the episode finds a perfect note to end on–Wrexham AFC co-owner reminding both clubs that they don’t have to wait 22 years for a rematch. Football is as complex as it is storied. Relatedly, ending the episode there also reflects the unwavering Wrexham spirit.
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