An American couple are packing up their lives in sunny Texas for a wild 4,800-mile move to Wrexham – and it all started thanks to a missing hoodie.
Former credit union CEO Jeff Ivey, 62, and his wife Janice are ditching New Braunfels, Texas, for North Wales after falling head over heels for Wrexham AFC and its buzzing local community.
The pair became obsessed with the town after watching the hit Disney+ documentary Welcome to Wrexham, fronted by Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac (formerly McElhenney). Jeff’s late brother was the person who tipped him off about the show in the first place.
Speaking to the Daily Star at the Ty Pawb arts centre in Wrexham, Jeff said: “My younger brother, who passed away last January, was a huge English football fan.
“We were both big Rob McElhenney fans too, so when the documentary came out, my brother was like, ‘You should really watch this.'”
However, it was a local band and a missing delivery, rather then the famous owners, that really drew him in.
After watching a documentary episode featuring local group The Declan Swans, whose singer Michael “Scoot” Hett courageously battled cancer on screen, Jeff ordered some merchandise.
“I ordered a couple of the band’s sweatshirts and when the package came there was only one in it,” Jeff said. “They sent another, we kept emailing and Scoot said, ‘You should come over.'”
Taking him up on the offer, Jeff flew across the Atlantic in early 2024 for his first match at the Racecourse Ground against local rivals Shrewsbury Town.
“We went to the match and I met the other guys in the band. They’re just great guys,” Jeff said. “The football team’s great, but we started to get a real sense of community.”
From that moment, the couple were hooked. They began visiting North Wales regularly, with their trips getting progressively longer until Jeff retired in December.
“We didn’t want to stay where we were. We started kicking it around and I said, ‘What about Wrexham?'” Jeff said. “Our kids are all for it – they’re all older and out of the house. We decided that life’s an adventure, so let’s take one.”
Jeff has already secured UK citizenship through his Scottish grandmother, making the 4,800-mile relocation smoother. However, back in the States, explaining the big move hasn’t always been simple.
“It’s funny because a lot of Americans don’t know where Wales is – they assume it’s all England,” Jeff said. “I don’t know of any other Americans who have made the move yet.”
The couple, who both grew up in working-class Pennsylvania mining towns, instantly clicked with Wrexham’s rich history and warm atmosphere.
“When Rob [Mac] said it reminded him of south Philadelphia and the working-class community, that’s what it’s like,” Jeff said. “The pubs are centres of society. People are friendly and that’s what’s so different.”
While friends back in Texas questioned trading hot weather for grey skies, Jeff says the perks far outweigh the rain.
He said: “The weather is one that people always raise, but some of the pros were that the cost of living is less here and the healthcare is free.”
Jeff and Janice are now embedding themselves right into the heart of the community. They regularly volunteer at the Wrexham Miners Project and raise money for the Hope House Children’s Hospice in nearby Oswestry.
Jeff has even put a deposit down on a season ticket after watching five home games and four away matches so far, and is even learning the Welsh language online.
He said: “I’m taking a Welsh course online and it is amazingly difficult. I knew I was in trouble during the first lesson when they were going through the different sounds, but I would love to be able to have a small conversation in Welsh. That’s my goal.”
With their Texas house officially on the market, Jeff is currently house-hunting in North Wales while Janice waits for her visa approval back in the States.
Legendary local landlord Wayne Jones, from The Turf pub, has even been dishing out advice to help them settle in.
For Jeff, the gamble is already paying off – and there’s no turning back. He said: “Even if Wrexham get relegated, that’s my team and I’m going to support them. I’m excited about where Wrexham’s going as a community.”