JJ Watt may not be generating quite as many headlines as his fellow US names with their hands on Football League clubs. But that suits Burnley down to the ground. “Who the f***ing hell are you?” screamed down at Tom Brady from the Wrexham supporters in attendance at St Andrew’s for Monday’s League One showdown with Birmingham City .
Dubbed the 'Hollywood Derby', Birmingham minority-owner - and NFL legend - Brady sat in the stands alongside Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney . And the pair, for some reason, were joined by David Beckham . In his venture with fellow superstar actor Ryan Reynolds , McElhenney has built tremendous goodwill in Wales as Wrexham have earned back-to-back promotions.
Brady - still fresh to football ownership having bought his stake in Birmingham just over a year ago - was in good spirits ahead of watching his new team defeat their title-rivals. League One record-signing Jay Stansfield scored twice as Brady earned bragging rights amongst the A-listers watching on and for many, the headlines were that, rather than the result. After all, this is a new age of American involvement in British football, one of genuine excitement for the lower leagues, aided in no small part by Wrexham’s relative pioneers.
Yet, if you travel roughly 125 miles north, you’ll find another - albeit slightly quieter - American star making his presence felt on a historic British club. Founded in 1882, Burnley Football Club are two-time winners of the old First Division (mos.