02x06 - Ballers

[bunniefuu]

[indistinct chatter]

[laughter]

[soft music]

♪ ♪

[keypad beeps]

ROSIE: I work in
the largest prison in the UK.

It's a male prison, category C.

[beeps]

It can hold a maximum
of 2,100 prisoners.

[walkie-talkie beeps]

I'm actually
a manager there now.

I've been there 5 1/2 years.

I used to be a POELT mentor
which was, um,

where you introduce,
like, the new starters

to the prison,
so I've done loads of tours.

So I'll just give you
one of them type of tours.

♪ ♪

So we've got a custodial caf,

where you can stop and go
and get some food.

A reception area, which...

The prisoners come off
these GEOAmey buses,

head through reception.

Kitchen's here on the left.

Food for over 1,800 prisoners.

You just kind of have
to make yourself aware.

Like, you have to have
trust in your staff,

but also back yourself.

Never put yourself
in an unsafe position.

Of course,
we're taught, you know,

how to look after ourselves,
how to protect ourselves.

Use all the tools
that you have...

A baton, handcuffs, radio.

Alert staff
whenever you need them.

I found myself being
in this line of work

because I'm not
the type of person that can

sit still or sit in an office.

It's so hands-on.

You're kind of free
to be yourself.

That's where I flex.

Like this.

[laughs]

And it's a people's business,
at the end of the day.

You know,
you're working with people.

We're... we're there
as parents, as teachers,

as health care, firefighters.

It's an emergency service job.

Oh, I follow you.

I feel proud every day
to put the uniform on,

to clip the belt on.

♪ ♪

The job that I do is difficult.

It's emotionally straining.

It's hard work,
but it's also rewarding.

I've had family members
that have been in prison.

[indistinct chatter]

I grew... grew up
going to visit prisons.

I've seen my sister in prison,
my brother,

you know,
so it wasn't new to me.

Um, and I know
they're just humans,

at the end of the day.

So it's easy for me
to, you know, be there.

No, I don't think so.
I think we're pretty much...

[cheers and applause]

[rock music]

MARK: Hello, everyone.
Welcome to Wrexham.

And wow, what an occasion
we've got here.

Wrexham playing
at the Racecourse.

The atmosphere here
is fantastic.

The crowds are wonderful.

- Let's go, Wrexham!
- Up Wrexham!

Come on, Jonesy.
Come on!

[cheering]

RYAN: One thing that a lot of
people don't know and realize

is that the number one
goal scorer for Wrexham

is not Paul Mullin.

It's not Ollie Palmer.
It's not Elliot Lee.

It's not Sam Dalby.

It's Rosie Hughes.

MARK: [indistinct]

Clears it now.
White is on the chase.

Will she get there first?
Yes, she does.

She knocks it past the player.

Hughes now up against
the last defender with White,

and it's a first one-on-one.

Hughes passed,
and Hughes got a goal!

[cheers and applause]

♪ ♪

Wrexham take the lead.

It had to be Rosie Hughes.

It had to be.

[cheers and applause]

SINGER: ♪ Don't forget
where you came from ♪

♪ Don't forget
what you're made of ♪

♪ The ones who were there ♪

♪ When no one else would care ♪

♪ Don't be afraid to cry now ♪

♪ Even when the world
comes crashing in ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Don't forget to sing
when you win ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Don't forget to sing
when you win ♪

ROB: The men's team is
currently in second place

midway through the season.

But Wrexham has another team

that is in first place

and is, for lack
of a better expression,

kicking the living sh*t
out of everyone.

[Sencha Green's "Let's Go"]

♪ ♪

SENCHA:
♪ Have you seen this, unh ♪

♪ You could even
call it genius, unh ♪

♪ If we sh**t for the stars
and we land on the moon ♪

♪ Then we party on Venus, unh ♪

GEMMA: It's not just the men
at Wrexham Football Club.

There is a women's section.

It's very similar
on the women's side

to the men's side.

The women are in a really
good, strong position

to be challenging for promotion.

SENCHA: ♪ It's a moment when
I pull up on the scene ♪

♪ Let's go ♪

♪ Hey, let's go ♪

♪ All eyes on me
when I pull up ♪

GEMMA:
We are the women's first team,

unbeaten in the league so far.

Won every game.

SENCHA: ♪ Hey, let's go,
all eyes on me ♪

GEMMA: Looking for promotion
to get up

to the highest league in Wales,

which is where we want to be.

There's so many people are
looking at our results

and our players

because our players are special,

and they deserve every bit
of attention that they get.

SENCHA: ♪ It's a moment when
I pull up on the scene ♪

♪ Let's go ♪

ROSIE:
I am Wrexham's goal scorer.

I'm a nuisance.
I'm... I'm a pain.

Defenders do not want
to defend me.

I've scored three hat tricks
in one game before,

against my former team,
which, you know, sorry,

but I love every goal.

Yes!

STEVE: Rosie Hughes,
character-wise,

is... is great to have around.

Very uplifting,
confident individual.

SENCHA: ♪ Burn it up all day,
all night ♪

♪ Never get enough ♪

ROSIE: When I'm on the pitch,

a fire within me,
it just kind of explodes.

I look like I'm laughing

in the opponents' faces,
but I'm not.

I'm just...
I'm just happy for me.

SENCHA: ♪ It's a moment
when I pull up on the scene ♪

MARK: You can see
on the pitch,

the quality of touch
is fabulous.

And you know,
the pitch isn't perfect,

but she tames it superbly.

She's ludicrous.

SENCHA: ♪ All eyes on me
when I pull up ♪

♪ Let's go ♪

CHILD: Thank you.

[indistinct chatter]

ROSIE: I'd love to sign it.

I do believe that
I'm the female Paul Mullin.

Not that I'm gonna
compare myself to him,

'cause I feel like
he's the male Rosie Hughes.

I know exactly how he feels,

and I'm sure he knows
how I feel.

I've got girls
shouting my name on the pitch

and, like, coming to watch us.

Like, for me, that's everything.

That's all I've ever wanted,
is people

just to come
and watch me play football.

Granted, it's not in front
of a load of viewers,

which I would love.

[rock music]

FANS:
Wrexham, Wrexham, Wrexham!

MARK:
That's... that's just the thing.

The Wrexham women's home games
are not at the Racecourse.

We're here in Rhos,
one of the satellite towns

just outside Wrexham.

We play at
Rhos Aelwyd's grounds.

We have one small stand,

which actually isn't open
to the public.

There's no bleachers.

It's just people
with a metal barrier

around the pitch leaning on it
and watching it.

Must be
a couple of hundred here,

but this is growth.

That's all right.
That's okay.

NEIL: It's all about
the knock-on effect, really.

It's... you know, with the men's
team winning yesterday,

um, I think a few more are
starting to become interested

in the women's side as well,
which is...

Which can only benefit,
you know, the girls.

They want...
They want supporters here to...

You know, to be here and...

And encourage them
and support them.

So we're on the start
of... of what is

a really, really exciting
journey for them, I think.

GEMMA: Go on. Go on, Rosie.

Yes! Yes!

GEMMA: Come on, Rosie!

[all cheering]

Whoo!

- Yeah, Rosie!
- Yes!

That's the way to end a half.

We didn't know that there was
a women's team in Wrexham

until we took
stewardship of the club

and recognized that there was
a program that was in place.

And they, just like the men,

need to win the league
to get promoted up

and out and into
the professional ranks.

SHAUN: The club is a group
of different teams,

from the powerchair team

to a seven-a-side team,

you know, to the youth teams
and the girls teams.

So the women's team is
as much a part of the club.

MIA: We play on a nice,
lovely pitch.

I say lovely.

I use that term quite loosely.

On certain days,
it's not the nicest place...

[laughing]
Place to be.

Yeah, we try not to... we do...

I was gonna say
we don't complain.

We do complain.

Um, we all do it
because we love football,

and because we love
the club that is Wrexham.

And I think you can see that
when you come to games.

We don't just turn up
for a laugh.

We turn up and we take it
quite seriously,

because we know the importance
of wearing that badge.

[indistinct yelling]

ROB: Oh!

[all cheering]

Wow.

Was that Lili?

- Lili, yeah.
- Whoo!

MARK: And with that
dominant 5-2 win,

the Wrexham women sit
first in the league,

neck and neck with

the only other undefeated

team, Connah's Quay Nomads,

who aim to spoil Wrexham's

chances at promotion.

This way?

[laughing] Ladies!

That was absolutely amazing.

Wow. Wow.

That was my first game,
and I've seen you guys win

as many times
as I've seen the men win.

[laughter]

We definitely need to work on

drainage on that pitch.

And maybe new washing machines,
because I don't know

how you're gonna...
How we're gonna... look at that!

[laughter]

That's amazing.
Well, congratulations.

Thank you for having me.

And, um, Ryan and I have been
talking quite a bit about

how we want to prioritize
this program.

And for so many reasons
in the past, it hasn't been.

You're all very important to us,

and we want to continue
to support you.

And if you keep winning,
it makes it a lot easier.

[laughter]
So thank you.

More goals next time.

[laughter]
Next time.

I came here for a hat trick,
and I don't know...

[laughter]
It was great.

It was fantastic.
Thank you.

[applause]

HUMPHREY: Last year, both
the men's and women's teams

very narrowly missed out
on promotion.

This year, things are looking
a little brighter.

Right now, our women's team
is an amateur side.

None of the players get paid.

If the women win

the Adran North League,

they will then go into

a playoff against the winner

of the Adran South League,

and the winner of that will be

promoted to the Adran Premier.

If that's the case,

then we have grand plans

that involve going
to a semi-professional status,

which means paying the players.

I'm just giving you a hard time.

[laughter]
Congratulations.

- ROSIE: Yeah. Thank you.
- It was great.

I don't necessarily
even just think

it's an ethical responsibility
to do something like that.

I think that there is a massive
business to be created there.

Wow, this is cra...

I can't believe
you played in this.

Yeah.
There's so much to do there.

Which is great, you know.
It's daunting, too, for us.

It's like, for us
to cultivate and grow

that business as well
is gonna be

a real privilege and fun,
but you know,

we've got a long road ahead.

MIA: For us as players,
all we can do is

put out really good
performances on the pitch

and just keep winning.

Prove you're worth watching,
you're worth following.

You know, prove to us
your... your worth,

because that's how
we get more attention.

That's how, you know,
we bring more success.

Not just to the women's game,
but to football

as a whole for Wrexham,

and I think that's all
we need to focus on.

[birds chirping]

LILI: I'm 17,

and I'm in school


Tuesdays and Thursdays,
I'm at work.

So I work 5:00 till 11:00.

So yeah.

No time
for anything else, really.

[indistinct chatter]

Rob's cleaned up
from the other tea.

Thank you. You can follow...

It's actually vile, innit?
[laughs]

I'm a kitchen porter.

Probably one of the hardest

and most humbling jobs
you'll ever do.

The six hours goes quite fast
when you're bent over a sink.

This is hot off the kettle.

LILI: How the f*ck am I
gonna get that off?

[laughs]

GEMMA: We do ask a lot
of these players,

considering they are
amateur players.

They're not professional.

They're not on contracts
in any way, shape, or form.

So we play football
on top of a working day.

COWORKER: Chilling.

Are you coming on Sunday,
or what?

- COWORKER: No, I'm not.
- Why?

- COWORKER: I'm busy.
- You're busy?

All right. f*cking hell.

It is tough trying
to balance everything out,

but end of the day,
it's what's got to be done.

Everyone else has got to do it,

so I'll do it as well,
you know what I mean?

Yeah.

[laughs] Stop looking at me.

COWORKER: Does it feel like
it's like a dream?

You know, first you're, like,
playing your dream career

in front of loads of people,

and then next day,
you're cleaning pots.

LILI: I know. It's mad, innit?

COWORKER: And do you enjoy it?

- What, working or playing?
- Playing.

Oh, I love it.

It's... I live and breathe for it.

I, like... yeah,
I love every second of it.

But... you know?

I'm just telling her
that when she's famous,

she needs to come in.

When I'm famous.

We'll see.
COWORKER: Yeah.

Do you reckon?
COWORKER: Yeah.

I think
you're a good footballer.

- I've read about you.
- [laughs]

[gentle piano music]

Started playing football
at around six years old.

Obviously there weren't
many girls teams around

at that time,
so my dad threw me in with...

With the under-six lads team,

which was a bit daunting
at the time.

My dad always used to tell me,
"Get involved, get involved."

And eventually I did.

I was probably the best player
on the team at the time.

[laughs]

About age 13, I got scouted
to play for Everton.

Spent a couple of seasons there,

um, which I absolutely loved.

Playing against big opposition
like Man City, Chelsea.

I was then drafted in,
then, with the Welsh squad.

I played at that level
at 15s and 17s,

which was an unreal experience,
playing in countries

like Sweden, Portugal.

And then I returned,
then, back...

Back playing for Wrexham,
where I'm at now, and...

♪ ♪

I probably would have stayed
at Everton a bit longer

if I hadn't lost my dad.

Um, he struggled
with mental health

and anxiety, depression.

Um, people knew
he was going through it.

I guess we just didn't know

how much it really was
affecting him.

We knew it was getting bad,
but that was a cycle

we'd dealt with a lot.

My dad took his own life, um,


[somber music]

GEMMA: Lili's gone through
quite a difficult period

in her life at such a young age.

Now, her dad, like... like mine,

is the reason why
she comes to watch Wrexham,

why she's the fan that she is.

LILI: Yeah, he was a massive
fan of the club as well.

Some of... he used to make
these stupid videos,

trying to... trying to catch

Rob and Ryan's attention
all the time.

Um...

I'm here with,
um, my daughter Lili,

uh, who's also played

for Wrexham girls.

Yeah.

Her dad was... was absolutely...

What an incredible man
her dad was.

And you know, we knew her dad
really, really well.

[laughing]

He was a massive character,
and everyone seems to know him,

and everyone seems to have
a story about him,

which... which is very comforting.

I do feel like he's still
with us all the time.

He's at my football games, watching.

The flag we designed
after... after he passed.

Every time I step on the pitch
and every time I step off

is, would I have made
my dad proud?

What would my dad think of this?

And what he'd say and what he'd
think of my performance, so...

[The Declan Swans' "It's
Always Sunny in Wrexham"]

♪ ♪

SINGER: ♪ He ordered
a medium doner kebab ♪

GEMMA: She is Wrexham,
just like I feel that I am.

And you know, for her to pull
on a Wrexham kit every week

means the...
Means the world to her.

You know, if she's here

and she helps us gain promotion,

it would be pretty special
for her, I would say.

And you know, probably
more so than if it was

any other club that she might
have been playing for.

LILI: Almost since he's gone,
I've fell in love

with the club even more.

I honestly don't know
where I'd be

if I didn't have that support

and the people around the club

who are there for me
all the time.

I took his love...
Love on for it, really.

♪ ♪

BOTH: Wrexham!

Knackered now.

[chuckles]

[crowd cheering]

GEMMA: You know,
football has, strangely,

always been seen
as a boys' sport.

Um, even though
the women's game was...

Was much, much, much bigger
than the men's game.

So I think it's important
to have some context

around women's football.

Because, you know,
we've seen it of late.

There's been this huge
increase in interest.

England won the Euros.

You know, the women's game
in the U.S. is really big.

But for a long time,
women's football

has been in the wilderness.

[projector whirring]

Right back at its very origins
in the 1880s,

there were big teams that drew
massive crowds across the UK

and even internationally.

Women's football got
a real sh*t in the arm

during the First World w*r.

With all of the men away
fighting in the trenches

on the Western Front,
women's football was really

kind of the only game in town.

And even when
the men returned home,

the women's game still
remained enormously popular.

On December 26, 1920,


to watch a women's game.

That is a crowd we can
only dream of at Wrexham

these days, um, and speaks

to the enormous
popularity of it.

In fact, it was so popular
that it was deemed

to be a thr*at
to the men's game,

and the FA took the step
in the following year, 1921,

to ban all women
from playing football,

saying, "The game of football
is unsuitable for females

and ought not
to be encouraged."

And they in fact banned
women's football

until the 1970s.

So women's football
was banned until 1971,

but a female football
committee at the FA

was not set up until 1993.

And thank goodness it was,
because without that,

you wouldn't be seeing
all the many manifold triumphs

of women's football today.

[upbeat rock music]

♪ ♪

ROB: Of course we want
to be a part of that,

and it's definitely
a long road ahead,

but it's worth it.

KIM: Rob and Ryan, of course,
they're supporting us.

And Blake, she obviously,

um, sponsors our team as well.

When I first started Betty Buzz,

I set out to create
the best-tasting

sparkling drink out there.

[fizzing]

It's pretty special
that they are

supporting us in that way.

And you know, that makes us,
as a team and as a section,

feel... feel very, very much
part of the club.

Gemma is the b*ating heart
of the entire...

The entire club.

RYAN:
I'd say Gemma's heart extends

into the Wrexham
AFC men's club too.

She's putting her last drop
of blood into this...

This... this team, and...

And building it and growing it.

It's gonna be incredible.

I'm really, really
excited about it.

[indistinct chatter]

GEMMA: I oversee
the entire women's

and girls section at the club.

So that's all the way
from our little under-eights

all the way up
to our senior women's team,

and organizing everything
in between, basically.

[projector clicking]

I'm born and bred Wrexham.

Always had a football
by my feet.

Um, I've never really been
a girly-girl, if I'm honest.

Um, yeah, I grew up with,

you know,
going on the football field

with the kids
that lived locally.

There might have been
me and one other girl,

and then the rest of them
were all boys.

And that's... that...
Yeah, that was me.

I loved it.

My husband's Gareth Owen,
one of the best midfielders

we've had at the club.

His main sort of time period
was the '90s.

I grew up watching him, yeah,

which was quite strange,
you know, going back to

when you used to stand
at the side of the pitch

and high-fiving players.

Yeah, that was...
He was one of them,

which is a little bit weird, but...

he is now the under-19's manager

with our women's side as well.

I try and learn as much
as I can off him,

and... yeah, he's... he's great.

He's... he's playing a big part,
at the moment,

in the growth
of our women's side as well.

We will not be putting you
up front again.

No, Gem, listen!
Full-size... oh, my...

[laughter]

Gemma Owen,
head of all female...

everything that goes on
at Wrexham.

No! Next one.

Come on, Grace.
It's got to be you.

MIA: I don't think
football for women

would be as big as it is in
Wrexham if it wasn't for her.

So North Wales can basically
thank Gemma Owen for that.

GEMMA: Oh, oh! Oh!

Oh, oh!

I'm trying to give
as many girls and women

the opportunity to get
involved with what I think is

the best sport in the world.

And being in amongst the club
that I have been supporting

for my entire life is...

It's a dream.

It is an absolute dream.

ROSIE: It's Connah's Quay.

They make me nervous.
And they're awful.

They're not nice players, either.

We're top of the league now,

and they're only...
They're second,

but with two points below us.

So obviously, if they win,

they're gonna go back

to the top of the league.

Um...

In the changing rooms, like,

I know, like,
everyone will be nervous.

And it gets to you.

You can either get...
Let the pressure get to you,

or you can perform really well.

We used to have these feelings
against Llandudno,

because last season, they were
probably our main competitors.

But this season,
it's been Connah's Quay.

So it's 90 minutes, isn't it?

And we all... we can be
better than them.

We can b*at any team
if we put our minds to it.

Just have to do the easy ball.
Just play football.

[rock music]

♪ ♪

GEMMA: Quite a big game
for us today.

Top of the table clash.

And we've still got to play
them twice in the league.

So, you know, these...
These two games

are gonna be vitally important
to us hopefully,

fingers crossed,
winning the title.

So I think
it'll be a close game.

I don't expect anything other
than it being a close game.

STEVE: Right.

We've said everything
that we need to say, okay?

We don't need to sell it
to you anymore, okay?

It's a game, okay, that we have
to take seriously, okay?

We've got to be aggressive

with and without
the ball today, all right?

So let's make sure
that we get bodies

in and around the box, okay?

Be patient
with each other as well.

Come on, girls.
Yeah. Big f*cking 90.

[applause]
Come on. Come on.

GEMMA: Here they come now.

[cheers and applause]

They look ready.

STEVE: On your toes, girls!

[air horn blaring]

[frenetic jazz music]

Yeah, just screen
in front of your toes.

Yes. Through toes.

You can see that we're both
very, very good teams.

[air horn blaring]

And probably deserve to be
in the Welsh Prem, to be fair.

[all cheering]

[air horn blowing]

FAN: Oh, Connah's Quay!

BOTH: Oh, Connah's Quay!

Is wonderful!

BOTH: Is wonderful!

LILI: Their coaching staff
are very barky.

The players are very barky.

And a few tough decisions
made against us,

and we have to bark back
louder than that.

Rosie.
Straight in on it, mate.

Straight in on it.

Come on, Wrexham!

I think that we managed
to do that.

♪ ♪

[indistinct yelling]

[cheers and applause]

STEVE: Get them!
PERSON: Whoo!

[cheers and applause]

LILI: Everyone there put
their body on the line.

The tackles were...
Tackles were being put in,

passes were being made quickly.

And you know, when one player
was going 10%, we were...

10% less, we were just
getting that extra 10%

from somewhere else.

[all cheering]

♪ ♪

We've got a good... good little
team going, I think.

[all cheering]

[chatter, laughter]

Go on! Yeah!

STEVE: Listen in.

Today, I couldn't give a sh*t

how you win a game of football.

It's about f*cking digging in
and making sure

that we win a game of football.

We f*cking enjoy it right now,

and we enjoy it tomorrow
in the gym.

Tuesday, Wednesday,
our f*cking heads turn now.

Sunday, we get it
f*cking wrapped up.

We win the f*cking league

and get everything
we f*cking deserve.

[all cheering]

ROSIE: Yeah, I'm so proud
of my team.

Proper happy.
Excited, buzzing.

Feeling amazing.

Just, uh, can't contain
my excitement, really.

[all cheering]

♪ Rosie ♪

- BOTH: ♪ Super Rosie Hughes ♪
- Yeah!

BOTH: ♪ Just don't think
you understand ♪

♪ She plays the red and white ♪

♪ She's flipping dynamite ♪

♪ We've got
super Rosie Hughes ♪

[soft music]

LILI: It's just...
It's unbelievable, isn't it?

Putting that...
Putting that shirt on

and... and playing
for that badge is something

that every single girl
on the team knows...

Knows what that weight carries.

And you know,
putting two, then three,

is... it's just
an unbelievable feeling,

and I can't wait to do it
again next Sunday.

[chuckles]

[indistinct chatter]

Hello, ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome to the 1864 Suite.

I've got to introduce

our former player guests
for tonight.

Making his Football League
debut for Wrexham

in September 1997, he also won
two Welsh Premier cup medals,

and also played for Wales
at full international.

He is a Wrexham lad.
Neil Roberts, everybody.

[applause]

Your time at Wrexham, Neil...
What was the highlight for you?

You know, I'm standing here now,

and I'm still in awe of Mickey,
sat at the table there,

'cause he was
one of my heroes growing up.

More importantly than anything
is having my daughter,

one of my daughters,
here tonight, who represents

the women's football team
for Wrexham.

And, uh...

[applause]

MIA: I don't remember
football ever being something

that wasn't part of my life.

As soon as I could walk,
I think I was kicking a ball,

as the cliché goes.

NEIL: We had Mia when I was...
I was 24.

Came as really no surprise

for her to go down
the footballing route.

[soft music]

First time to have
a look through it together.

It's basically something
my, um, nana put together, to...

For me and my brother
and sister to have to,

you know, look back on
to see your little...

Little career.

Um, it captures basically
the last few seasons

of your career, really.

NEIL:
Yeah, last couple seasons.

"Local hero Roberts
keeps Dragons in hunt."

NEIL: That season started

on a... on a massive high for me,

because I was captain
of my hometown club.

Um, there was a... there was
a very good squad in place.

And then, unfortunately,
it kind of took

a turn for the worse.

A couple of players
moved on to...

To what was
better opportunities for them,

and we became
a very young squad.

This is the painful bit.

End of an era.

NEIL: Yeah. That's me in tears.
[laughs]

See, like, to read that,
it just...

No, it's not...
It breaks my heart.

It breaks my heart.

Um...

ANNOUNCER: All right.
Talk about this in a second.

Wrexham are out
of the Football League.

They've lost by 2 goals to 0
this evening at Edgar Street.

Gary Hooper to the first half.

Theo Robinson,
his first goal in six...

NEIL: It did feel
like a nightmare.

And for me personally, it...
It was really tough,

because I was captain
of the team that...

That got relegated.

So, you know, that was a...
That was a tough pill

to swallow for me, really,
and still is to this day.

My personal take on it
is that it's, um...

It... it did take
a big piece of me.

And I think it caught up
with me in... in later life,

and I became
a little bit distant.

And you know, maybe...

Maybe, to a point,
a different person as well.

It's had a massive effect
on my... on my life,

especially from
a family point of view.

It was hard for us
to go out as a family

without being subject
to certain things being said.

Because, you know, obviously,

the club does mean
that much to people.

And that obviously
shouldn't happen.

But you can see
why it does happen,

because if they're gonna put
fault on someone, the captain,

you know, he's... he's well
up there in, you know,

people to... to blame.

Didn't know it was
after 87 years.

NEIL: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

[laughs]

NEIL: You say all the right
things to make me feel better.

[both laughing]

This season, for me, is...
It's more than football.

It might allow me a new...
A new start, in many ways,

and a new... a new chapter

in my life and my family's life.

You know, that's the one thing
that Rob and Ryan have

given everybody in the town,
is... is belief.

Is belief and a kind of
"dare to dream" sort of thing.

MIA: Basically just a summary
and a plan

for... for me to finish this

when Wrexham got back
in the league.

Touch wood.

Hopefully... hopefully we get
to finish it in a few months.

Women's there, men's there.

Let's hope, uh...
Let's hope we do it.

MIA: Yeah.

But we'll do that together.

Yeah.

All right.

[tense percussive music]

[engine rumbling]

♪ ♪

GEMMA: How you doing?
You all right?

Good to see you.
DAVID: You all right, mate?

- ROSIE: Thank you.
- How are we? Okay?

[laughter, chatter]

MARK:
As the Wrexham men continue

to battle for promotion,
the women's team

is nearing their finish line
with a critical match

this weekend away to Rhyl.

Win this one, and they'll
have won the league

and set themselves up
for a significant promotion

up the football pyramid.

HUMPHREY: The women's team are
coming off the back

of their big win
against Connah's Quay

and they're looking
really confident,

as well they should.

If they win this game,
they clinch the league.

The fact that we could
win the league is massive.

That's what all the girls want.

We want to take this
to the next level,

and we want to make the town
and the owners proud, really.

So we will do whatever it takes
to win that game.

STEVE: You've got
to give Rhyl credit,

because they held Connah's Quay,

they held Llandudno,

and only just lost out


So they're not gonna roll over.

It's not gonna be easy.

We know that we're
going away from home.

And again, like, we've spoke
about that target on our back.

You know, they'll want
to spoil the party, really.

They're not gonna...
They're not gonna enjoy us,

you know, b*ating them
and celebrating

winning the league
at their place.

GEMMA: I'll try not to look
as ill as I did last week.

- [laughs]
- Yeah. Oh.

Yeah.

GEMMA: That was
some pressure last week.

The girls did
really well, though.

Because they knew
what was at stake last week.

STEVE: Yeah.

And just how resilient
they were.

They were brilliant.
STEVE: Mm-hmm.

They were brilliant. Ah.

Got to get the job done
first, though.

Go on. Definitely.

Excited for it.
Let's do it.

Let's smash it.
Let's b*at them.

'Cause we can.
We have done.

[laughs]
So yeah, we'll do it.

And hopefully the pressure
of a cup game

won't get to us,
'cause it's the league.

And obviously,
we've, um, won every game

so far in the league.

So hopefully we just continue
our, um, winning streak.

[tense music]

STEVE: We know exactly
what we've got to do, okay?

We cannot make sure
that we obviously

take this game lightly.

These won't want to see us
to come here

and turn them over,
simple as that.

Last week was a slog.

This week, let the football
do the talking.

Get the ball down.
Use the pitch.

How good does that feel,
coming in,

when you've got 50-odd people
giving you a clap?

Yeah? All right.

That's the ambition, yeah?

That's the drive, okay?

Let's send them home
f*cking happy,

and let's send them home that
we f*cking played well today,

and we've done
our f*cking jobs, okay?

No regrets
at the end of this game.

Come on. Let's go.
[applause]

[whistle blows]

GEMMA: Come on, then, girls!

STEVE: Relax, Lil!

DAVID: Other side, Lili!

HUMPHREY: Their confidence
was warranted.

And they came flying
out of the traps

and scored three early goals.

♪ ♪

[bell dings]
[all cheering]

GEMMA: Whoo!

[all cheering]

♪ ♪

So I'm delighted to say,
look who's next to me here.

- Hello.
- Mr. Humphrey Ker is

at the game today.

Fantastic.

What do you think so far?

It's going well.


We just... just missed a penalty,

but I'm hoping
that won't come back

to haunt us in the second half.

But yeah, it's going well.

Obviously,
three points here means...

Means the title, so... um, yeah.

It's a great day.

[players yelling]

[all cheering]

[bell dings]

[indistinct chatter]

Yes, when people talk about
the beautiful game,

they often, uh, summon
the spirit of 1970s Brazil.

But I think those people
maybe haven't seen

2023 Wrexham women.

[cheers and applause]

Rosie Hughes is unbelievable.

I've been lucky enough
to see her

a couple of times in action now.

And you know,
she's a Wrexham legend.

Yeah, I'm really chuffed
for her.

I'm really chuffed
for all the girls,

and it'd be great to have
a double celebration

at the end of the season.

[speaking Welsh]
Thank you very much.

HUMPHREY:
Cheers, Tommy. Take care.

They're working hard,
working as a unit,

and frankly putting Rhyl
to the sword.

GEMMA: Go on.

Yes!

[crowd yelling]

[Gemma laughs]

Oh. Come on, Rosie.

Yes!

[cheers and applause]

BOTH: ♪ Yes, we've got Rosie ♪

♪ Super Rosie Hughes ♪

♪ Just don't think
you understand ♪

[whistle blows]

GEMMA: Yes!
[all cheering]

[cheers and applause]

HUMPHREY: So the full-time
score is Rhyl 1,

Wrexham 11,
which is an unbelievable way

to end the Adran North League.

However, unfortunately,
despite having won the title

of the Adran Northern League...

And that's a fantastic
achievement in and of itself...

It doesn't yet mean promotion.

There remains the playoff game
against the winners

of the Adran South,
and that is Briton Ferry.

So we've still got
one more game.

[all cheering]

Oh, amazing.

I mean, it feels like
all the hard work's paid off.

We should have done it
last season,

and... and to do it
in an 11-1 win today

and get a goal for meself,

it is a dream come true,
to be honest.

And to do it for this badge
as well is...

Yeah, it means everything to me.

You know, playing for this club
and doing it for these people

is... is something
I've always dreamed of doing,

and the fact that I've done it

is something
I'll always be proud of.

GEMMA: We won the league.

However, that didn't guarantee
a*t*matic promotion.

But we'd still won our league.

And I thought that
that was really important

that we celebrated that,

for the girls to have
their celebration.

Because if we didn't go up,

it was still
an incredible achievement.

[applause]

[all cheering]

There's a little message
for you here,

from one of our chairmen.

RYAN: Hey there,
this is just a quick message

for the Wrexham AFC women.

I, um... boy.

I just want to say
congratulations on... on, um...

On one of the most incredible
and historic seasons,

uh, so far, um, we've ever had.

Um, you know, by we,
I mean this club and you.

Uh, you guys have been
putting up

what I guess could
only be described

as basketball scores.

It's been incredible.

Um, and I just want
to say congratulations,

and thank you, uh,

for putting your heart, soul,
and last drop of blood

into every single one
of these matches.

Um, each and every one of you
are heroes.

And uh, I'm sending you tons
of love from... from New York.

Love you, Ryan.
GEMMA: There we go.

[laughs]
[all cheering]

[Robbie Williams' "Angels"]

ALL: ♪ And down the waterfall ♪

♪ Wherever it may take me ♪

♪ I know that life
won't break me ♪

♪ When I come to call ♪

GEMMA: Working in football
is incredibly difficult.

It's... it's a lot of time.

There's a lot of hours
that go into it.

ALL:
♪ I'm loving angels instead ♪

But it's all worth it when
you can help play some part,

however small,
into growing the club

that you have idolized
for your entire life.

It means the absolute world.
It really does.

ALL:
♪ She won't forsake me ♪

[laughter]

♪ I'm loving angels instead ♪

[yelling, chattering]

SINGER: ♪ Don't wash away ♪

♪ Memories left behind ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Stars can be revealed ♪

♪ When the skies clear ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Voices raised
to help generation ♪

[child giggles, seagull cries]