RAISING A GLASS WITH A HOLLYWOOD STAR
PROVES A WINNER AS HE PITCHES UP IN WREXHAM TO CELEBR ATE ST DAVID’S DAY
The Prince of Wales marked St David’s Day with a visit to Wrexham in North Wales, where he watched traditional folk dancing, pulled a pint and met a Hollywood actor at the town’s famous football club.
Prince William appeared in good spirits as he cracked jokes and downed a shot of whiskey at The Turf pub, which sits next door to Wrexham AFC’s Racecourse Ground.
The club won new fans around the world after film star Ryan Reynolds and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Rob McElhenney bought it three years ago, then made Disney+ documentary We Are Wrexham about their efforts to get their team promoted back to the English Football League after 15 years away.
With Ryan in Los Angeles editing his latest Deadpool film, Rob flew to Wales specially to meet the Prince, who was making a solo trip as his wife the Princess recovers from her recent abdominal surgery.
“Because Ryan’s not here, you can tell him I think Hugh Jackman is funnier,” William joked.
CULTURE CLUB
He praised the actors for creating an “amazing culture” at the club – the third oldest in the world – that had managed to “energise” the town and made it a magnet for US tourists, some of whom had gathered outside to catch a glimpse. They included three-year-old Florence Boyle from California, who blew William a kiss and presented him with a daffodil.
“You picked one of the most historic teams,” William told Rob, to which the actor replied: “That was done by design. We wanted to find a team and a town that had history, but was also full of people we could identify with.
“When I came here, I recognised the people as being like people I grew up with. My dad came and said the same thing. There’s something very emotional about that.”
Meanwhile, despite the Prince having had plenty of practice in the past, his pint-pulling skills fell flat. “That might settle in a couple of hours – talk among yourselves,” he quipped after pulling a pint of Madrí lager with a “horrible” head.
William, 41, who is president of the Football Association, explained why he supports Birmingham-based team Aston Villa as he chatted to two lifelong Wrexham fans, brothers Trevor and Alan Roberts, 73 and 76.
“A good friend took me to my first game when I was yea high – it was when Paul Merson was playing
