Watch: Wrexham fan’s brilliant reaction to team’s winning goal

Football was most definitely the beautiful game for Wrexham supporters on Saturday. Well, by the end of the game that is.

However, at 5-2 down after 63 minutes against Dover Athletic, the team bottom of the National League, it was agony not ecstasy those supporters were feeling.

Just ask US-based Wrexham fan Tony Merola who was following the game from his home in Texas. When his beloved team’s sixth goal flew in he couldn’t contain himself.

Little did he know that his wife Colleen, was recording his brilliant reaction to the winning goal which perfectly encapsulates the joy of a last minute goal to win a nerve-shredding game of football.

My wife got this video of me when the 6th went in @Wrexham_AFC I maybe 5000 miles away but I was with you guys all the way today. Now let’s finish the job… pic.twitter.com/Vn5p6jSDQ4

— Tony Merola (@coachtonymerola) March 26, 2022

Merola, 46, who played for the club in the early 90s before starting his coaching career back at the Racecourse ground, has carved out a successful career as a football coach in the States where he has lived since 2014.

Currently the UEFA A license and UEFA Elite Youth qualified coach leads a busy life as head coach at Boswell High school, head coach at semi pro NPSL team Fort Worth Vaqueros and Academy Director for Dallas Surf.

Rollercoaster

Now married to a Texan, with a little girl called Charlie Rose, the Wrexham fan almost missed the climactic end to the astonishing game against Dover Athletic.

“We were due to go for lunch – it’s a six hour time difference in Texas – and I said to the wife, ‘Give me five more minutes as if we score again it’s game on’. The rest is history now.

“It was a weird feeling as even at 5-2 I thought if we could score within five minutes it could give us momentum, and that’s what happened,” he said. “t was some game and gives us a slight chance of automatic promotion still.”

Experiencing the same sort of emotional rollercoaster were the club’s owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney who took to social media to express their exhausted feelings after the win.

I just lost 9 years off my life. And I’m okay with that. Apologies to my family. Also, bury me in Wales. https://t.co/albYioaD1b

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) March 26, 2022

I love this game. I hate this game. I love this game. UP THE TOWN. https://t.co/pPDpgOrkZs

— Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) March 26, 2022

Tony admits he was “a little sceptical at first” when he heard the pair were to buy the club but quickly came on board with the dynamic duo’s plans for the club.

“After listening to them talk naturally about our club and their vision I knew the sleeping giant was about to awake, not just back home but on a global basis,” he said. “Hopefully one day we’ll see a Wrexham FC America Academy here on the US.”

As for the club’s chances of finally escaping the National League, the Wrexham-born Welshman is quietly confident.

Yes, we’re 100% getting out of this league this year. We’ll need (league leaders) Stockport to slip up and we’ll be right there behind them, but if it’s the playoffs then we’ll do it that way as no one will want to play us. With the following we have, they’ll be our 12th man for sure.”