Tom Brady secured a victory over Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney when his Birmingham City team triumphed over Wrexham with a score of 3-1 in a match labeled as a Hollywood derby on Monday.
While the match in England’s third tier, League One, might not typically draw attention, the status of the club owners has transformed that narrative in recent years. Reynolds and McElhenney purchased Wrexham in 2021, while Brady acquired a minority stake in Birmingham through Knighthead Capital Management earlier this year.
The BBC remarked that this match was one of the most significant in the history of League One, bringing increased interest and excitement, much to Brady’s delight.
The game, however, did not start in Brady’s favor. Watching from the stands alongside David Beckham, he must have felt anxious as Wrexham’s Jack Marriott scored the opening goal just three minutes into the match.
But Birmingham quickly responded, showcasing the talents of their record signing, Jay Stansfield. Stansfield leveled the game midway through the first half before putting Birmingham ahead with a header seven minutes into the second half. Japanese midfielder Tomoki Iwata further extended the lead, making it 3-1 nearly an hour into the game as Birmingham dominated in front of their home crowd.
Although Birmingham’s Krystian Bielik received a red card four minutes before the final whistle, Wrexham couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity, and the game ended with no further changes to the score.
This result saw Birmingham tied with Wrexham at the top of the league, although Wrexham retained first place on goal difference, having played one additional match.