Watch Wrexham's Rob McElhenney explain pro/rel on Kimmel

Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live Wednesday night to discuss various topics. Key figures in American soccer rarely get opportunities to be on late-night talk shows. McElhenney’s situation is quite unique though.

Being a prominent actor certainly helps him gain more attention in the entertainment industry. Nevertheless, McElhenney was invited to the popular show mainly to talk about Wrexham. The relatively small Welsh soccer club was recently not even known by a majority of soccer fans here in the United States.

The actor, and his friend Ryan Reynolds, however, have turned the team into a household name thousands of miles away from Wales. The foreign club is now essentially more popular than a vast majority of domestic Major League Soccer teams.

A major part of this rise in popularity comes down to the club’s success on the pitch. Since the Hollywood duo arrived at the helm of the team, they have been promoted twice in the ranks of English soccer. This is a rare feat considering the two actors only purchased the club in 2020. Wrexham will take part in League One next season.

Promotion and relegation is always a hot topic here in the United States. The concept is not currently in place here, but many soccer fans would love to see it implemented in the near future.

Rob McElhenney avoids taking credit for his club’s recent success on Kimmel

In his discussion with Kimmel, McElhenney explained the process of promotion and relegation in European soccer. The Wrexham owner compared how the system would work in the National Football League. “So, it’s just something that would be anathema to American sports, but picture whoever comes in last place in the NFL,” began McElhenney.

“Who had the worst record last year, Carolina [Panthers]? Let’s just say Carolina had the worst record. They would get kicked out of the league and kick down a league below and they would have to fight their way back.”

“And let’s say they came in last place in that second league. They would get kicked out again to a lower league and they would continue a precipitous fall. You get to a certain point where it’s semi-professional football and you are playing cops and firemen.”

Kimmel also pointed out that, conversely, clubs can also move up divisions. The host wanted to heap praise on McElhenney and Reynolds for their role in helping Wrexham earn promotion in back-to-back seasons. The American actor, however, modestly refused to take any credit for the club’s success. “We have no bearing on what happens on the pitch,” proclaimed McElhenney.

A new season of Wrexham’s docuseries to be released

Wrexham’s rise in popularity overseas is also due to the FX show Welcome to Wrexham. The series documents the club throughout the seasons since McElhenney and Reynolds came aboard. The hit show has collected several accolades, including five Primetime Emmy awards. Soccer fans can stream the first two seasons of the series on Hulu.

Season three of Welcome to Wrexham originally had a premiere date set for Thursday, April 18. However, FX recently revealed that the show will now air on Thursday, May 2nd instead. The network did not give an immediate reason for the delay. The first two episodes of season three will air on the new date. There will be eight total episodes of the new season.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.