Wrexham is the game: Reading the room

Never mind a right royal mauling, we're about to get a a lesson from some real Poshos

It's been dubbed the 'most complete Phil Parkinson' performance during his time at Wrexham and it truly was men against boys.

But Reading is over. And just as well, because all that feel-good factor will ebb away when Wrexham get humped 5-1 at Peterborough on Saturday.

Well that's according to the Posh experts, who also believe everyone is getting fed up of Hollywood FC - especially the fans and the owners.

That remains to be seen. What doesn't is that we’ve got another PACKED WitG for you this week.

We hope you like 5 things we’ve learned, as we’ve got two of them, plus we take those Posh w*nkers to task for their weird comments. The fanzone (that’s not a fanzone) gets another kicking and we shine a light on a hidden Kop detail.

Plus, do you want to hear Barry Fry swear a lot? Of course you do…

Quote of the week: “I think Wrexham will lose 5-1” - Charlie doubling down on the FiD AND UpthePosh podcast. More on those guys later (well, now…)

Burning issue: A little toy we’ve all lost interest in

This lot were called Tory voting, Waitrose shopping Tesla driving b*stards on one WhatsApp group we’re on. We think Ashley more of a Citroen Saxo guy

ANDY: Ashley. Oh Ashley, Ashley, Ashley. You've had a bit of a 'mare here haven't you?

On the UpthePoshcast this week, our Cambridgeshire pal had some quite, er, interesting views on Wrexham, the fans and the owners. Normally we wouldn’t engage in any sort of retort, but it’s the most classic example of fan ignorance we’ve seen for a while, so hell, why not (who says we’re a fanbase that’s easily triggered!)

You can listen to the segment here

Firstly, we more than anyone else know a podcast's place is to be forthright, have opinions and stoke things up every now and again.

And while we try not to do it, if you're chasing clicks the best thing you can do is offer a series of, well, untruths based on a system of ignoring simple facts.

And if that was your plan above any common sense, then you've played a blinder here sunshine. But if you really believe what you're saying, then in true public interest we have to have a right to reply.

Let's take one this one by one...

"They're not selling out away ends and they're not taking us up on our offer of more tickets"

Well, we are. Bolton was a sell out. I wanted an extra for Peterborough but I can't get one so that's a sell out too. We think the Peterborough commercial manager said they offered us more but we turned them down. You think it's no risk for us. If they don't sell, they don't sell. However it is a game over the other side of the county and to put more coaches on for any extra fans may be more trouble than it's worth at this late stage. Also, it IS a sell out for us. Just think I need to say that again.

"This means their fans are getting bored of it."

Well, every game we've had this season has been a sell out on our end. People are still desperate for tickets all over twitter. We're also in a new league with many top grounds that not many of us have been to. We're also playing good football with good players. I'd say there's more interest in the club now, not less of it.

"There was such demand, They were selling shirts by the thousands and shipping them to America."

This is the only correct bit of his chat.

"I think people are getting bored of the whole Hollywood FC thing. And if the fans are getting bored then I think that outside interests will be too"

People = him. Every game we have played this season has been a sell out or in the case of Bolton, the largest crowd since the Premier League. The one that may not sell out is Peterborough. What we will do is drum up interest and get you a bumper day. Sorry if we haven't done this to your liking, but we're not here to fill your ground Ashley, you need to do that yourselves.

"That little toy they've had to play with for the last four years will start fading away and the money will stop being put into it"

The language here is tinged with a lot of things. Ignorance and jealousy are two of them. Ryan and Rob have been very clear that this is not a plaything. Not one of their actions in the intervening years has suggested that. If anything, the problems around the club have come from the professionals they've brought in to run it, not them. In many ways they are the perfect owners as they're ambitious but they don't get involved. One thing about them stopping putting money in. All they've had so far is success. They stand closer than ever in getting into the Championship - one of the richest leagues in the world, with plans to make the club a more saleable asset with a Kop and training ground. Why would they stop now? Because Peterborough can't sell out their own ground?

Fanzone debacle revisited... the for 1214th time

People say we should just boycott the stand - but we’ve never going to are we?

ANDY: Look at this image, tweeted on the Thursday before the Wrexham-Reading game by Spirit of '78.

First look and it's great, some tickets left… fill your boots!

But look closer. Full rows available. Almost a full block is available on one side of the new (larger) temporary stand with people still asking for tickets and the match a few days away.

These tickets were not even put up for sale before today and there's only one reasonable explanation: the fanzone.

Yep, that thing. It's back.

Basically the club won't put the rest of the seats up for sale until the fanzone - with it's extra non discretionary £10 surcharge for extra food and entertainment you may or may not want – is sold out. Let that sink in.

People say it's pretty good in there – but it's a backdoor way to charge Wrexham fans not only the extra tenner, but other cash once they have them in there on merch, food and drinks.

It's pretty brazen. Although I have a grudging respect for the plan and North American fans will gladly pay these prices as they're still a lot cheaper than their sporting events, it's not right.

Every time I make my peace with it, something else pops up and really grinds my gears once again.

Humphrey tried and in some ways failed to really draw a line under the plan at the Fearless Live Night (it's on the end of the YouTube vid above if you've not seen it) but now we really need Michael Williamson to put his head above the parapet.

Over to you now Michael...

Five random facts about Peterborough United

• Former Posh boss Barry Fry was famously captured on film going ballistic at his players in the dressing room at half time in a game against Wrexham. Parky's expletive-laden rants have nothing on Fry... Watch some more here

• It isn't just Parky who enjoys back-to-back promotions - Darren Ferguson achieved the feat with Posh in the 2008/09 and 09/10 seasons, taking them from League Two to the Championship. Didn’t do back to back to back though…

• The last time Wrexham won at London Road was in 2002, with Hector Sam netting a last-minute penalty to secure a 2-3 victory. As if one madcap footballer wasn't enough, Jimmy Bullard played for the hosts that day

• Their Glebe Road stand is known as the Meerkat Family Stand because of sponsorship reasons. Expect funny voices to emanate from this area.

• Peterborough United content creators came together to form Up The Poshcast. In doing so, they lost their sense of humour (see Andy's article)

Reader investigates: The Kop rebuild

So last week mentioned a rumour, phrased as a rumour, that the student flats may be under threat. Look, as everything with this we don’t know for us until there is an official announcement. But friend of the newsletter has an interesting point below…

They say: “This caught my eye in the Kop update back in June. Figured it might be for a smaller patch of land, but thought MAYBE they were going all out if they’re already redesigning the Kop/stadium to be bigger.

“Assume they won’t submit plans until a purchase is finalised, as council process probably can’t move forward while Uni still owns the land. Exciting stuff though.”

Five things we learned from the Reading win

Absolute star of the show from a 3-0 Reading win where almost everyone played well? This long-sleeved number of course (the shirt, not McClean, MoM should have been Dobson of course)

TIM: Well, I take no pleasure in getting the prediction spot on, but apart from the fact that I’m the FiD Mystic Meg, what else did we glean from a Royal lesson…

• Ryan Barnett is the best winger at the club, fact. It's no great surprise that Barney has raised his game once again following the arrival of Seb Revan. The latter was preferred to Barney at Bolton and many were expecting him to keep his spot against the Royals. However, despite the former Aston Villa youngster's ability to play on either flank, Barney was restored to the line up and proceeded to cause absolute carnage. His ability to create his own space on the touchline is never in doubt, but the consistency of his crossing was a joy to behold. He always plonks it into that danger zone where the goalkeeper has to make a stick-or-twist decision.

• Elliot Lee appears to be playing with a sense of freedom again, and that is in no small part down to the arrival of George Dobson. Both know one another well from their time at Charlton and whilst Dobson revels being the disrupter, it allows Lee to get on with what he does best - link up play and ghost into space.

• Long sleeve shirts need to be made available to buy again. It's been way too long since the last version - the 2018/19 purple shirt was available to buy in both long and short sleeves. James McClean looked majestic in his - those white cuffs just made the entire shirt look classier than ever. Plus, the winter months are ahead - I'd like to keep my arms warm please.

• The “sexy football” chant is as bad as “we're fu*king rich!”. Why? Well, we know it can't be sustained. I recall first singing it during the first few games under Gary Mills when his Wrexelona style left us salivating. Look how that turned out. I like the idea that every team things we're a bunch of cloggers who can't turn on the style now and again. Let's not let on!

• If you are standing up at the back of the stands you'll be ordered or asked by jobsworth out of town stewards to sit down. Top tip - take a crutch and tell them you are unable to sit down because of pins inserted in your knee and that there was no room in the accessibility section. Then tell them to go and look for misogynistic, racist and other offensive language because, you know, that's a real issue stewards should be looking out for instead of picking on easy targets.

Wrexham fan of the week

Alys with mum Lesley, who is quite well known in Wrexham parts

Name: Alys Wyn

Worst moment being a Wrexham fan: Losing the play-off final at Wembley in 2013, and McDonald’s only giving me 19 chicken nuggets in my 20 box. Worst day ever. I’d have taken the FA Trophy win away, just to get out the National League… but it’s funny how things turn out.

Best goal: I hate to be boring, but Mullin against Stockport. I sit by a lovely boy called Tommy, and his chips went flying through the air, shortly followed by him.

Most surreal moment: Sitting in a bar in New York that had Wrexham flags and described itself as the "official home of Wrexham in NYC". Came back down to earth when they couldn’t get the sound working, and turned it off a few minutes before the end as the Steelers game was about to start.

Greatest moment: Bear with me, losing to Gainsborough away in the semi final of the FA Trophy, but winning on aggregate to head to Wembley for the final. The longest seven minutes of added time, before we all tumbled down the stands and onto the pitch. My favourite ever away day.

What makes a top red: Every single person who risked their house, life savings, or relationships to get £127,000 into the club in 24 hours. I’m not sure me and my piggybank contributed much (literally or otherwise), but we are forever in debt to the fans who gave everything to save this club.

All time XI: Ben Foster, Carlos Edwards, Aaron Hayden, Dennis Lawrence, Shaun Pearson, George Dobson, Jay Harris, Elliot Lee, Louis Moult, Juan Ugarte, & of course, Paul Mullin

Best chant: The one and only Juan Ugarte. Has there ever been such lyrical genius as “he came from Sociedad, and made the Chester sad”?

My Wrexham dinner guests: I loved the summer where the whole town supported Trinidad & Tobago in the world cup, so I’m inviting Dennis Lawrence to hear all about it. Glen Little obviously, to teach us all how to twirl scarves, and talk us through exactly what went through his head. Elliot Lee to dance on the table and finally, Manny Smith because he’s my mum’s favourite and she wouldn’t forgive me for leaving him out.