Controversial Irish Wrexham star James McClean salutes fans singing ‘he hates the f***ing King’, weeks after Ryan Reynolds’ team invited Prince William to their stadium
Controversial Irish star James McClean has greeted Wrexham fans as they sang an anti-King Charles III song, weeks after Prince William visited the club.
In early March, Prince William visited the pitch at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground to hear stories about the club’s rise since being taken over by Rob and Ryan Reynolds in 2021, and to meet staff and players.
Following their 6-0 defeat to Forest Green Rovers last weekend, the Welsh club’s promotion to League One was confirmed and the fans celebrated with songs about all their players, including McClean.
In a clip posted to social media, Wrexham fans can be clearly heard chanting ‘he hates the f****** King’, referring to the Irishman’s much-discussed Republican stance.
However, the King and Prince William, the FA president, have both made highly publicized visits to the Racecourse Ground in the past two years.
Controversial Irish star James McClean greeted Wrexham fans as he sang an anti-King song
McClean celebrated with the Wrexham fans after they earned promotion this weekend
Prince William received a personalized Wrexham shirt at the Racecourse Ground last month
Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney welcomed King Charles in 2022
Prince William, the president of the FA, received a personalized shirt from McElhenney and players Luke Young and Ben Tozer on the pitch at the Racecourse Ground, and in conversation with manager Phil Parkinson.
The Prince of Wales also poured a pint and had a whiskey with McElhenney at The Turf pub next to Wrexham’s ground.
Reynolds was in New York last month editing the next Deadpool film during Prince William’s visit, but MailOnline understands he hopes to meet the second in line to the throne later this year.
Speaking at Wrexham AFC, William said: ‘It’s a great success story you’re building here, everything you’ve started and achieved is fantastic, so onwards and upwards – it’s exciting.
‘And anyone who is a real football fan wants you to do well.’
As the third oldest football club in the world, Wrexham’s story has captivated a new generation of viewers from around the world thanks to McElhenney and Reynolds, and the showcase of their ownership in the hit Disney+ documentary Welcome To Wrexham.
In the first episode of the show’s second season, The King delighted royal fans by making a subtle joke about It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia to McElhenney.
Charles and Camilla met club owners and actors Ryan Reynolds and McElhenney during a Wrexham stadium tour in December 2022, which aired the following September.
Prince William spoke to Wrexham AFC manager Phil Parkinson during his visit in March
Wrexham secured promotion to League One after a resounding 6-0 win over Forest Green
Delighted fans ignored a warning from the club and stormed the field after the match
McClean has proven to be a divisive figure in British football, and his stance against the Royals is just one of many things that have sparked debate.
While playing for Wigan Athletic, McClean called out the English FA for their failure to tackle anti-Irish abuses in the match following an incident in Blackpool.
The FA previously investigated fans who sang anti-Pope and anti-IRA songs towards McClean on a number of occasions.
In September 2023, McClean admitted he regretted posting a controversial photo of himself ‘jokingly’ homeschooling in a balaclava, which was interpreted as a reference to the IRA.
For the post, which was subsequently deleted, McClean was fined two weeks’ wages by Stoke City, his then club, in March 2020.
McClean came under fire for turning his back while the national anthem played before a friendly against West Brom in 2015.
The player has stated that this is due to his affinity with Derry and the British Army’s role in the Troubles and Bloody Sunday.
He has also been criticized for refusing to wear a poppy during matches played over Remembrance weekend, a personal decision he made in 2012 but a stance that saw him booed for it a decade later.
McClean’s stance against the royal family is just one of many controversies surrounding him
McElhenney and Reynolds stood alongside Queen Camilla and the King during the 2022 visit
The Hollywood couple celebrated back-to-back promotions after purchasing the club in 2020
He refuses to wear the poppy because the symbol commemorates military personnel who died in the war – and not just soldiers who died in the First and Second World Wars.
The winger, who has 103 caps for the Republic of Ireland, left Wigan Athletic for Wrexham in August 2023, where he has scored three goals for his new club this season.
Earlier this month, a Wrexham fan was banned from attending football matches for three years after making racist comments towards Tranmere supporters.
Daniel Thomas Monk, 21, admitted a racially aggravated public order offense at Wrexham Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after assaulting ‘dirty Scouse b*****ds’ and ‘dirty English b*****ds’ shouted in the direction of a group of Tranmere fans being escorted into the stadium.