Except you’ve been residing underneath a rock for the previous 5 years, you’ve most likely heard of Wrexham Affiliation Soccer Membership. Based in 1864, Wrexham is the oldest membership in Wales and the third-oldest skilled affiliation soccer staff on this planet. Nevertheless, it wasn’t till the top of 2020 that the membership started receiving worldwide consideration following its extremely publicized takeover by actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds via Wrexham Holdings LLC.
These two Hollywood stars ushered in a brand new period of success via important funding and the worldwide fame of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary sequence, serving to Wrexham obtain visibility surpassing even some Premier League golf equipment like West Ham and Brighton.
Nevertheless, McElhenney and Reynolds haven’t been the one driving forces behind Wrexham’s meteoric rise. One man who has performed a vital position within the membership’s historic ascent is Les Reed.
Born on December 12, 1952, within the London suburb of Wapping, Reed performed for England on the schoolboy stage and was one of many 97,000 in attendance for the 1966 FIFA World Cup Closing at Wembley, the place England beat Germany 4–2 in further time. Unable to make his senior debut, Reed frolicked at lower-league sides reminiscent of Cambridge United, Watford, and Wycombe earlier than retiring early to pursue a training profession and a level in bodily training.
Reed started teaching with non-league sides Finchley and Wealdstone, profitable the Soccer Convention and FA Trophy with the latter, earlier than becoming a member of the Soccer Affiliation (FA) as a improvement officer in 1986. It was throughout this primary of many stints with the FA that Reed’s profession actually started to take off.
“The turning level got here throughout my first interval with the FA,” said Reed in an unique World Soccer Discuss interview. “My three-year contract was coming to an finish, and by that point, I used to be operating a number of the highest-level teaching programs on the Lilleshall FA Centre — the place the nationwide faculty was — and overseeing programs for skilled coaches. It was a time when teaching {qualifications} grew to become obligatory. Many former gamers and long-time coaches needed to full these programs, together with those that’d been within the recreation on the highest stage for many years.”
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“Numerous them handed via my palms. One was Alan Curbishley, then reserve staff coach at Charlton Athletic, who had simply been supplied the full-time supervisor position. He accomplished each his preliminary and full licenses with me as his tutor. Afterward, he known as to ask me to affix him as his assistant. I needed to determine — stick with the FA teaching England youth groups, or take this chance which may by no means come once more?”
“I took the possibility. I used to be with Alan for 3 years; we earned promotion to the Premier League, and that’s the place my repute began to develop. After these three years, I used to be headhunted again to the FA as Director of Technical Growth to arrange the academy applications. I oversaw all nationwide groups and have become assistant coach to Kevin Keegan with the England males’s nationwide staff. That decision from Alan most likely modified my profession — it gave me confidence and a repute I’ve carried ever since.”
Reed hasn’t simply left his mark on England’s nationwide groups but in addition throughout the globe — in Northern Eire, South Africa, the Republic of Eire, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Ghana, and Zimbabwe. After constructing a reputation at Charlton and later as Fulham’s Director of Soccer, he joined Southampton in April 2010 as Head of Soccer Growth and Help, later changing into Vice-Chairman.
At Southampton, Reed oversaw youth improvement, scouting and recruitment, sports activities science, and medical operations — serving to steer the membership from England’s third division to a steady Premier League presence. One yr after his facet reached the 2017 EFL Cup Closing, Reed returned to the FA as Technical Director earlier than transferring again into membership administration in 2021 — this time, with a Welsh membership.
With practically half a century of expertise, Les Reed has established himself among the many high soccer executives within the recreation — alongside names like Giuseppe Marotta and Sergey Palkin. Just some months after buying Wrexham, McElhenney and Reynolds supplied Reed a place as advisor to the board. He was instantly tasked with key selections — changing the supervisor, figuring out which gamers to retain, and which to launch — and struck gold by appointing Phil Parkinson as supervisor.
With Parkinson main from the touchline and Reed offering strategic oversight from his workplace in Spain, Wrexham have maximized their sources and risen quickly via the divisions.
“I don’t have many encounters with Rob and Ryan. You gained’t see me on the documentary. I keep very a lot within the background,” Reed defined. “Ryan as soon as described me as their secret weapon. In the event that they’re at a recreation and I’m round, we’ll have a basic chat fairly than a enterprise one. They’re very approachable — if one thing necessary comes up, they’re open to listening to it. However as a guide, I usually work via the board and executives. Nowadays, I work extra carefully with Michael Williamson and Phil Parkinson. Within the early days, I had extra contact with the house owners because the membership grew, however now that it’s bigger and has extra folks on the government and operational stage, my position is extra behind the scenes.”
Wrexham have made historical past as the primary staff in England’s high 5 divisions to realize three consecutive promotions, and so they’re now aiming for a fourth — which might take them to the English high flight for the primary time ever.
