A couple from the USA are moving to Wales after falling in love with Wrexham, and Ryan Reynolds has given a brilliant response. Jeff and Janice Ivy are making the move after watching the Disney+ hit Welcome to Wrexham.
The series follows the club following the takeover by Reynolds and fellow Hollywood star Rob McElhenney. The club are currently in the Championship and aim to make it to the Premier League.
Taking to social media, Reynolds reposted the story of the couple's move, along with a comment reading: "Thank god they didn't watch Chernobyl." The mini-series Chernobyl dramatises the story of the real-life 1986 accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine.
A Brother's Suggestion
It was Jeff's late brother who first alerted him to the Welcome to Wrexham series. Speaking to the Daily Star, he said: "My younger brother, who passed away last January, was a huge English football fan."
"We were both big Rob McElhenney fans too, so when the documentary came out, my brother was like, 'You should really watch this.'"
Yet it was a local band and a botched delivery, rather than the celebrity owners, that truly reeled him in. After viewing a documentary episode showcasing local outfit The Declan Swans, whose frontman Michael "Scoot" Hett bravely fought cancer on camera, Jeff purchased some merch.
"I ordered a couple of the band's sweatshirts and when the package came there was only one in it," Jeff said. "They sent another, we kept emailing and Scoot said, 'You should come over.'"
A Sense of Community
Taking him up on the offer, Jeff made the transatlantic journey in early 2024 to attend his first game at the Racecourse Ground, a local derby against rivals Shrewsbury Town.
"We went to the match and I met the other guys in the band. They're just great guys," Jeff said. "The football team's great, but we started to get a real sense of community."
From that point on, the couple were completely smitten. They began making regular trips to North Wales, with each visit stretching longer than the last, until Jeff finally hung up his boots professionally in December.
"We didn't want to stay where we were. We started kicking it around and I said, 'What about Wrexham?'"
"Our kids are all for it - they're all older and out of the house. We decided that life's an adventure, so let's take one."
Connecting with Heritage
Jeff had already obtained UK citizenship through his Scottish grandmother, which made the 4,800-mile move considerably more straightforward. Yet back home in the States, explaining the decision hasn't always gone smoothly.
"It's funny because a lot of Americans don't know where Wales is - they assume it's all England," Jeff said. "I don't know of any other Americans who have made the move yet."
The couple, both raised in working-class Pennsylvania mining towns, immediately felt a deep connection with Wrexham's proud heritage and welcoming spirit.
"When Rob [Mac] said it reminded him of south Philadelphia and the working-class community, that's what it's like," Jeff said. "The pubs are centres of society. People are friendly and that's what's so different."
While mates back in Texas questioned swapping scorching heat for overcast skies, Jeff insists the advantages far outweigh the drizzle. He said: "The weather is one that people always raise, but some of the pros were that the cost of living is less here and the healthcare is free."
Integrating into the Community
Jeff and Janice are now integrating themselves directly into the fabric of the community. They frequently volunteer at the Wrexham Miners Project and fundraise for the Hope House Children's Hospice in neighbouring Oswestry.
Jeff has even placed a deposit on a season ticket after attending five home fixtures and four away matches thus far, and is also studying the Welsh language online. He said: "I'm taking a Welsh course online and it is amazingly difficult. I knew I was in trouble during the first lesson when they were going through the different sounds, but I would love to be able to have a small conversation in Welsh. That's my goal."
With their Texas property now officially listed for sale, Jeff is presently searching for a home in North Wales while Janice awaits her visa approval back in the States. Legendary local publican Wayne Jones, from The Turf pub, has even been offering guidance to help them settle in.
For Jeff, the leap of faith is already proving worthwhile - and there's no going back. He said: "Even if Wrexham get relegated, that's my team and I'm going to support them. I'm excited about where Wrexham's going as a community."
