With the Premier League season kicking off, here are five things to know about one of the world’s most exciting soccer leagues.
Usually League One games in English soccer don't generate many headlines. It's a little different, however, when some of the owners involved are globally popular.
Birmingham City saw future NFL Hall of Famer Tom Brady purchase a share of the club to be a minority owner in 2023, but proceeded to relegate after a dismal start under soccer icon Wayne Rooney.
That set the stage Monday for a home clash against Wrexham, famously co-led by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Red Dragons have climbed the English soccer pyramid the last few seasons, and the fans let Brady have it with an NSFW chant during their game.
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"Who the f------ hell are you?" Wrexham fans chanted as Brady walked by on the pitch. The 47-year-old responded with a thumbs up and pointed at a specific spot in the crowd while smiling.
Brady later sat in the stands of St. Andrew's with soccer legend David Beckham, watching Birmingham City pull off a convincing 3-1 win to close the gap with Wrexham atop the table.
Despite Jack Marriott's third-minute opener for Wrexham, Birmingham responded with a brace from league-record signing Jay Stanfield (22', 52') and another from Japanese midfielder Tomoki Iwata in the 59th.
Brady and McElhenney also talked on the pitch before the game, while the former New England Patriots star made an appearance on Sky Sports Football to discuss his ownership of the club.
Soccer
Wrexham still leads the table despite the loss due to goal difference, but Birmingham City has a game in hand. Both clubs, though, have at least 40 league games left, so it's too early to tell if either will make a serious challenge to reach the EFL Championship.
