Birmingham City’s chief executive, Garry Cook, has expressed his desire to see his club play Wrexham in an official league game in the United States.
Birmingham, who are part-owned by NFL icon Tom Brady, will face Wrexham and their Hollywood owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds in League One on Monday.
When asked if the game could have been played on American soil this season, Cook responded: “Well, personally, I think that is a great idea, but I think the EFL (English Football League) would not see it that way, and I think the history and tradition of our sport and our league tries to ensure that that does not happen.”
“That doesn’t stop making it a global game even though you’re playing here in Birmingham.”
The build-up to Monday’s game between the two teams in English football’s third tier has been dominated by a back-and-forth between Eli Manning and Tom Brady, with the former announcing his newfound Wrexham fandom on Friday, and long-time gridiron rival Brady responding with a boast about his Super Bowl titles.
The game will take place at St Andrew’s in Birmingham, England, between two unbeaten sides. Wrexham leads the third tier of English football with four victories and a draw, while Birmingham has three wins and one draw from four games.
The game has been informally dubbed the “Hollywood Derby.”