Every sports team has a team culture. A large part of our enjoyment in supporting our favorite teams comes from this. Each sports team has its own identity and reputation to uphold and when times are good, we find pride in our teams’ performance and their approach to their game. When a particularly long period of underperforming occurs, we are just as downtrodden as team players and ownership. But, nonetheless, our support for our favorite teams does not diminish because we were drawn to these teams in the first place for their team culture.

Wrexham A.F.C. is known for their team’s storied history and embodying the qualities of its city. Wrexham has a blue-collar background with a strong sense of community and this togetherness extends to its football team with players sharing a connection with their fans. Nothing brings Wrexham closer together than a football match and over the years fans commiserate together over near misses and the club’s difficulty in achieving promotion. Wrexham has developed an underdog mentality, and while being an underdog implies hopefulness, it’s not a winning mentality.

‘First Losers’ expresses the frustration that Wrexham fans feel with their team’s performance (lovingly of course) while also showcasing the effect that winning can have after a long period of disappointment. By contrasting the career of Susan Lucci, nominated for 19 Emmys before winning, with that of the Buffalo Bills, who appeared and lost in a record four consecutive Super Bowls, ‘First Losers’ emphasizes the significance of Wrexham’s season following a disappointing end to the prior season. Winning would change Wrexham’s culture and even how people would think of the team in years to come.

Already, Wrexham has already had a culture shock with its new American ownership. No one knows this better than Shaun Harvey, advisor to Wrexham’s board. Shaun was originally hired for a six week role, but now works full time and is involved with seemingly everything. He is the glue that holds Wrexham together and is in bad need of a vacation. When he steps away for a few days, Rob gets up to a little shenanigans with a prank on Ryan that may or may not violate Welsh airspace laws, and Ryan just can’t help but to like a politically inflammatory Instagram post from Paul Mullin… The royal etiquette course might not have been enough. And Humphrey Ker, left in charge with Shaun on vacation, finds out just what it means to walk a mile in Shaun’s shoes.

While ‘Shaun’s Vacation’ shows a difference in personality and culture between Rob & Ryan and Wrexham, it’s clear that any mishaps are all in good fun. Rob and Ryan have embraced Wrexham, its community, and its values, and have brought the Wrexham team and community even closer. With a championship or bust mentality for the season, they might even be able to contribute something new to Wrexham’s culture.