Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds’ Wrexham AFC sealed a fine 1-0 win over Rotherham United this weekend as they continued their good form. Rotherham boss Steve Evans, who has managed Rotherham since late last season, has sparked controversy over the match. Publicly accusing the referee for showing favoritism to Wrexham. “simply awful.”
During the match, the only goal, which proved to be the decisive one, came early on with Paul Mullin hooking into the top corner from Ryan Barnett’s cross. Rotherham did everything they could to get back into the game, but Wrexham’s defense stood tall, securing their second away win of the season.
Evans believes Atkinson’s choices were “all one way,” favoring Wrexham AFC in 50/50 contests. Ben Atkinson oversaw the game on Saturday. Evans told BBC Radio Sheffield: “I’m not going to talk about referees because, when you lose, referees can sometimes be the brunt of it, but let’s hope I don’t see him again. I think his performance was simply awful.”
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Evans continued, saying, “There were a number of factors. If it’s not a penalty on Joe Powell, I don’t know why it wouldn’t be a free kick on the edge of the box. There’s numerous holdings and pullings from set plays that when we’ve briefly looked at them back, because obviously we’ve got the opportunity to be able to look them back quickly, there’s a lot of 50-50 decisions that you think ‘you can’t be giving them all one way’. “
Evans’ comments have opened up the question of whether having an owner with such a high profile can sway refereeing decisions, but Wrexham will be more concerned about carrying on their good form. What a recent win has done, however, is enhance their standing in the league and strengthen their promotion hopes.
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Is Ryan Reynolds' celebrity status unfairly influencing referees in Wrexham's favor?
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Why Paul Mullin won’t be 100% at Wrexham AFC for ‘a long time’—with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney favorites still recovering from career first
Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have grown to love the Red Dragons striker, Mullin, who has inspired back-to-back promotions and scored 100 goals for the team. Mullin won three consecutive Player of the Year honors at SToK Racecourse. However, Paul Mullin acknowledges that he will not be 100% at Wrexham “for a long time.”
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Following a minor spinal surgery at the beginning of the summer, Mullin is beginning to feel more alert. The 29-year-old vocalist shared his current status with Wrexham’s official YouTube channel: “I’ve never had surgery before, but I was told it wasn’t easy, and, me being me, naively thought ‘nah, I’ll do it quicker than I could’ and I got back really quick in terms of being able to train, but it’s never going to feel 100% for a long time.”
With 11 games played this season, Wrexham AFC has amassed 23 points, placing them second in the League One standings. This mentality has served them well. Many believe they will create history by moving up the EFL ladder, and the club’s critically acclaimed documentary series has featured a lot of drama. What are your thoughts on this celebrity presence controversy?
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Is Ryan Reynolds' celebrity status unfairly influencing referees in Wrexham's favor?