If Birmingham City had their way, their team's League One match against Wrexham on Thursday night would take place in the United States, although the EFL is understandably reticent.
But the so-called “Hollywood derby”, in which Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney faced off against City player Tom Brady, may yet become the most watched British third division match of all. times, and CBS will broadcast it coast to coast in the USA, Sky Sports and talkSPORT broadcast it live, and almost 3,000 American fans watched it in “immersive” domes in Los Angeles and Dallas.
There are strong suggestions that Brady, the former American football quarterback who had David Beckham with him when City beat Wrexham 3-1 at St Andrews in September, will be present in North Wales.
As always, the plans of the Wrexham co-owners are a closely guarded secret, although the Los Angeles fires may have affected McElhenney's travel plans. It is believed guests from Birmingham will be able to use a landing site for three helicopters at the JCB factory in Wrexham. Reynolds often uses the local Hawarden airport.
Such is the surreal new world of these clubs, who have pretensions to greatness upon entering the game. City have certainly been the superior team in the season to date: two points clear at the top of the table with two games in hand, thanks to the biggest spend in League One history last summer, which secured strikers Jay Stansfield and Alfie May and Japanese defensive midfielder Tomoki Iwata.
Stansfield and May have scored 22 goals between them this season, while Wrexham have struggled to find the net, with Paul Mullin, star of Reynolds and McElhenney's documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham' a shadow of seasons past, and Jack Marriott injured since October. .
Wrexham vs Birmingham could be the biggest and most surreal third division match in history
Wrexham's rise through the divisions has been financed by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
NFL legend Tom Brady has a minority stake in Birmingham and participated in the return game in the company of David Beckham.
Wrexham, third in the table, claims the most support of any British side within the US, thanks to the award-winning documentary, which has turned the former coal mining town into a tourist destination for tens of thousands of Americans and Canadians.
The documentary, made using Reynolds' prolific marketing skills and savvy social media production, has helped seal a number of major sponsors, including United Airlines and Gatorade, whose cash has funded Wrexham's signings.
But when it comes to purchasing power, Birmingham is in charge. Although the net worths of Reynolds and Brady are quite similar (between $300 million and $350 million according to the website Celebrity Net Worth), the Blues' main financier is the ambitious investment firm Knighthead.
Birmingham's average home attendance (26,622) has also eclipsed the club record of 12,689 that Wrexham have averaged this season, helped by a temporary stand called 'the Fourth Wall', after the American whiskey brand that sponsors it. The promised replacement for Wrexham's demolished Kop has been plagued by planning problems.
Wrexham faces competition for the footballing attentions of Reynolds and McElhenney, who do not attend as many games as in their first seasons at the club and are looking to replicate their success at the club overseas.
This week it was announced that the pair are part of a consortium of investors that has taken over Colombian side La Equidad, based in the country's capital, Bogotá.
This, after they acquired a minority stake last April in Club Necaxa of the Mexican top category. Reynolds and McElhenney will be executive producers of a documentary series titled 'Welcome to Necaxa'.
The profile of Thursday night's match has been raised in the United States by its projection in two immersive 'shared reality' domes in Dallas and Los Angeles, set up by company Cosm, which also covered the Wrexham defeat on match day. New Year in Barnsley. The Los Angeles event will be used to raise funds for victims of the city's fires.
Thousands of fans will see it in “immersive reality” domes in Los Angeles and Dallas. The image above shows fans looking at a gigantic screen.
The documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham' has catapulted its popularity to multiple series
Birmingham, which has more spending power, won 3-1 last time in September.
Wrexham attracted a crowd in the US when they played Manchester United at Dan Diego in 2023.
Wrexham's preparations were not helped when captain James McClean was involved in a car accident on his way to training on Wednesday.
No other cars were involved, although images on social media showed substantial damage to the car. McClean is said to be “doing well.”
The club, who lost 2-1 to cross-border rivals Shrewsbury on Sky Sports and CBS last Thursday, are trying to put the fuss to rest.
“We have to learn the lessons from the defeat in Birmingham,” said coach Phil Parkinson. And we also have to leave Shrewsbury behind.