Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk said, b.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Whow why why Lila A.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Could see that girl was not good for me?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
But I was last like to say that Norman could
free and we've talked about it on the show before
this week. There's another big event coming to sky Stadium
this weekend. My producer asked me why I wanted to play? Why?
Why why? Delilah? I said, our own Phoenix team are
(00:49):
playing Wrexham AFC, the team that are based out of
Wrexham and Wales. Hello Tom Jones Wales with two famous
Hollywood stars that own it, Rob Mcaleney and Ryan Reynolds.
The team was a sub of a documentary Welcome to Wrexham,
which brought the club millions of new fans around the world.
(01:12):
So ahead of the match, we thought, wouldn't it be
good to talk to a Wellington person with a special
connection to the team. Dawn Wills is a football mad
lover and she moved here in twenty eighteen from Wrexham
in Wales, where Tom Jones is from. She's a big
(01:32):
fan of both teams and she joins me now, good morning, Dawn, O.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Good morning's neck. If we say in.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Wales, did you think I'm fantastic? Did you think it
was strange that we played a Tom Jones song to
introduce you.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
No, he's a hero, is me? That's an answem. I
was singing along.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I was singing along as you said it as well.
My wife met Tom Jones.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
You know that she's very lucky, She's very charming.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
She was very lucky. She nearly left before him. No, Dawn,
let's talk about Rigsham. Tell me about the city. Tell
me about the place.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Oh well, we still call it the town. It was
given city status a few years ago, which seems very
strange to us because I always used to say if
people asked me where I was from, I used to say, well,
I'm from a place near Chester, because that's nobody really
knew Wrexham, and it was a small town in the
northeast of Wales. It's got a lot of sort of
(02:32):
industrial and mining heritage and for a long time, as
those sorts of industries started to wind down in the
sort of eighties, you know, the town kind of was
on a bit of a decline. And you know, we're
Wrexham's through and through. We still love the place. But
you know, over recent years we've seen a real sort
(02:54):
of yeah, a real real evening of the Welsh language,
the Welsh culture, and of course, you know throughout all
of that, the football team is still there. It's the
heart of a community, the die hard fans, no matter
the fact that they fell out of the English Football
League sixteen seventeen years ago. They go rain or shine
(03:15):
and it is a real power of community. So when
Rob and Ryan offered to take over the club the
years that followed of just being a real sort of
you know, just pinchory moment for most of the people
that live in Wrexham.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Now you went to university right next door to Rixon's
home ground, So tell me about their home ground. Tell
me about going to university and being part of that
whole vibe.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yeah, I've got goosebumps just thinking about it because I
actually went to what would have been year twelve and thirteen.
It was a college I went to that was right
behind the ground at the time, and then I went
to university which was next door, so the ground was
always in the shadows of the university. All the other
way around. The turf was you know that features on
(04:01):
Welcome to Rex and that fabulous pub that was my
drinking haunt after lessons or sometimes instead of lessons, let's
be honest, but yeah, it was. You know, the ground
has been there for a long time and we've seen
you know, various redevelopments over the years. One of the
fondest memories I've got of when I was a real
(04:22):
young kid is going to watch the football in the
stands with my dad and swinging on the rails, you know,
less interested in the game at that time, but more
interested in swinging on the rails and you know, and
watching some of the highs and lows of the team there.
So obviously I was too young to draw my sorrows
in the turf.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Tell me, Dawn, do you still watch the games? Can you?
Can you get them here? Can you watch them live? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (04:46):
And I think that's been a really great strategy of
the clubs Rob and Ryan as well. Over over the years.
You know, fans, no matter where they are in the world,
new and old fans have been able to follow their journey.
They've had various sort of digital platforms which increase to
sort of more mainstream media as the club has gained success.
(05:07):
So yeah, we've we've been able to watch most of
the games, although with the time difference it's not always
sleep friendly, but for some of the more sort of
you know, fundamental games that have been quite pivotal, of course,
we've been up. We've been watching, you know, with a
cup of tea or a brew in a hands and
just really you know, supporting the team.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
And it's actually one of the only things that kind
of does make me homesick, because Wellington is home, it's
our family home with citizens of New Zealand now. But
when I sort of watched a game or Welcome to
Wrexam documentaries on that is the real only real time
I kind of have that sense of here ice as
we say in Wales, which for a longing, a sense
(05:47):
of deep longing to something a bit like homesickness.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Though, have you been home since you've been here?
Speaker 3 (05:53):
No? No, I haven't. Well, I went back maybe about
six months after I got here, but I haven't been
back since. My eldest son he went back with with
with a family member and spent a little bit of
time there and I was a little bit worried he
might not come back, but actually he's fallen in love
(06:13):
with New Zealand as well, so you know he was
more than happy to come. But no, no plans. I
guess in the future, I think we've got to you know,
although I might need to swap more than a chocolate
fish to get my hands on a ticket for the game.
That's the problem.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
So tell me, tell me you're also a Phoenix fan.
You're a football you're a football family, which is fabulous
and we're very lucky. We're blissed to have you living
in Wellington. What do you think is going to happen
on Saturday? I mean, this is a team that you know,
world renown. They're a great team, although they lost last night.
(06:49):
What do you think is going to happen?
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Oh gosh, it's going to be interesting. Part of me
wants Yellow to win, but the bigger part of me
wants Red. I think, yeah. I mean, you know that
they're a new they are a team that are clearly
obviously you know, preparing for the start of the season.
So just like you know, the Phoenix, they're kind of
in their sort of warm up mode. I would like
(07:13):
to think Green will have the upper hand. Unfortunately, last season,
a lot of fans were disappointed with the Phoenix's performance.
You know, I think most fans will put their hands
up and say, oh, it wasn't great. So I think
Wrexham will pitp it. To be honest, I think maybe
we'll see a reasonably modest win of maybe maybe two
(07:33):
to one.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Yeah, do you reckon that? Do you reckon? And you'll
be in with a no because I know that people
will be contacting you. I know that you'll be in
the no do you reckon? They'd be a chance that
Rob and Ryan could be actually coming to the game.
Do you reckon? There's an outside chance? Oh?
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Do you know what? I would like to think if
they were going to choose any game to pop up
at at moments notice, it would be the Wellington, especially
with all the film tithes. I think so yeah, I mean,
you know, I think, you know, part of me was thinking,
was it actually the real dead Pool and the dead
Pool outfit? At the Melbourne He's delivering the match ball.
I don't know if you saw that, But no, I
(08:10):
think I don't think it will be him. But joking aside,
I think yeah, I mean, they obviously make a lot
of time for the club and I think from friends
who have been in the crowd when you know that
the pair have been there. They're very sociable people. You know,
quite often people don't know that they're going to be
there until a number of hours before. So I think
(08:31):
we'll have to just wait and see and how public
they choose to be or not on the day, I'm
not sure, so.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
You know, correct one hundred and ten percent. They wou
probably think it's a great opportunity to come out and
meet Sir Peter Jackson and go and have a look
at Widder. I mean, Rob, what's the other guy, Cameron's
you know, he's James Cameron's here at the moment living
in New Zual. I mean you'd think that they I mean,
they would say knit working, and it's probably part of
the reason why the game came to Wellington in the
first place.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
And obviously, you know, Rob's got a lot of involvement
in sort of you know, production and and sort of direction.
He's not, you know, just an actor and need I
think there's a lot of talent in the Wellington region
as well.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
You know, I'm.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Involved with with Massy in the sort of design creative
arts area, and you know, looking at sort of some
of the screen design courses and the sort of music
and media stuff going on. I mean, the area is
really rich with talent and opportunities. So I think let's
hope they come and check us out and have a
few meetings and meet some of the fans as well.
(09:30):
Will be wonderful.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Dawn will start the rumor me and you'll start the Yeah.
I can see them, I can see them, I can
see them in the crowd. It would be amazing. Dawn.
Thank you for joining us this morning on Morne into morning.
Lovely to hear from you, and thank you for moving
to Wellington, and thank you for you and your family
for all you do for for football and to have
your passionate about I might go out with a bit
(09:52):
more Tom Jones because my producer didn't understand why we
wanted Tom Jones. I loved, I loved, I loved it.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
I love to get him when I can because he
always gets me when he can, you know. Thanks, Thanks Dawn,
appreciate and enjoy the game.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Have a great one home, Thanks Nack.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Love to the family, have a great day on Saturday.
Got good Dawn wils there. She is from Wrexham, went
to university right next door went to school. Right now
on I'm getting a bit emotional and Wrexham come to town.
How amazing would that be?
Speaker 1 (10:25):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
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