Ex-EastEnders actors Dean Gaffney and Shaun Williamson ‘join forces taking over a club’ in rivalling the Wrexham’s series.
Yes, you read that right, they will be looking to take Basildon AFC to the Premier League, looking to do what Reynolds and McElhenney are looking to do with Wrexham.
Ok, before we go any further, we have to be honest, this is all part of a comedy sketch by Paddy Power to coincide with a second series of Welcome to Wrexham set to be released on Disney+ on Tuesday (the 12th of September), with the bookmaker publishing their only parody series consisting of three episodes.
The second episode drops on Tuesday while the third is on Thursday, all able to be seen on the bookies’ social media channel.
But for now, you can tune into the first one, as seen below, and having seen this, we can only imagine how you’re about to react to it (sorry, not sorry, in advance!)
Welcome to Basildon – Episode One
The identity of the club’s new celebrity owners is revealed…
18+ BeGambleAware | #WelcomeToBasildon pic.twitter.com/7t16YCWe9Z
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) September 10, 2023
Simon Gardner (CEO of Basildon AFC) said: “The club has been for sale for six months now with no takers, but today could be the day. Everybody, at this level, wants to be the next Wrexham. Couple of months ago, we were approached by a third party, said they represent a pair of A-listers who want to buy this club, and they want to film the whole thing for a documentary. Yeah they’re coming in today to meet the board. It’s a little bit odd to be honest, you know, I still don’t know who they are. Could be Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Schwarzenegger and Stallone. Oh, bollocks. Shaun Williamson and Dean Gaffney.
Gaffney: Why do we want to buy Basildon?
Williamson: Because we are businessmen. When we were riding high back in the ’90s, we should have diversified. You know, expanded our brand into different territories and income streams.
DG: That’s what we’re trying to do now.
SW: Not that we need to.
DG: No.
SW: We’ve both got loads going on.
DG: Yeah, I mean, Shaun’s got his karaoke nights.
SW: ♪ Na, na, na, na, na, now ♪
♪ Baby give it up, give it up ♪
SW: Dean’s making a name for himself in the Far East.
DG: You see this is a springboard for us. Who knows what will happen if this goes well? Films, TV shows. Action figures.
DG: And obviously, we want the club to do well too.
SW: Obviously.
SW: If you accept, we will take Basildon to the top together.
DG: We have the ambition and the coin to back it up.
When asked how they got the money to buy the club, Gaffney responds: My Nan died and left me a bit in her will.
Asked if there there any debt, Gaffney adds: Well, she still owes a few hundred quid to the Littlewoods catalogue, but just been ignoring the letters.
Again, when asked is there any debt attached to your funds, Williamson adds: No, it’s 100% our money. We’re not the Glazers.
Voting on the proposal comes to two apiece, Williamson says: You’ve got an even amount of people on your board.
Simon Gardner (CEO of Basildon AFC) said: Yeah, we had five, but Colin got nicked for selling dodgy boxes, so.
SW: Well what do we do now?
SG: Gary, as club treasurer.
SW: He’s the club treasurer?
The club treasurer: What do I do at Basildon? What don’t I do more like? Bit of this, bit of that. You name it, I do it. Put it this way, if Simon’s Lennon, yeah, I’m probably, one of the other ones.
SG: Gary, as club treasurer, you have the deciding vote.
Club treasurer: Whoa, whoa, whoa, I can’t vote. You just told me I had to sit here and listen. It’s not up to me to vote.
SG: Just f**king vote, Gary.
Club treasurer: Okay, yay.
SG: New owners, it’s a good day for the club, it is, you know, a bit of hope. They may not be Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, but they’re here now, and that’s the main thing.
Again, we’re sorry, not sorry, at what you just had to witness. Here’s hoping you cracked at least one smirk throughout the video.
Oh and to think there is still so much more of this to come. If anyone can take the pick and do parodies right, it’s Paddy Power.
Speaking about the new series, a spokesperson for Paddy Power revealed as per Daily Star: “We paid Jamie Redknapp do a cameo and bless them, but I think Shaun and Dean found the Sky pundits appearance a little too convincing.
“Williamson is either the finest method actor we’ve ever come across, or he’s a little confused.
“I heard him do a phone-in to TalkSPORT radio the other night, and he seemed to think Basildon is the real deal.”
Social media users reacted as ex-EastEnders actors ‘join forces taking over the club’ in rivalling Wrexham’s series…
@PeteRogers: Should have been Barry Town
@gareth_shewan: Brilliant 👏 👏
@DanTaylor199312: Bas Vegas FC United
@NickyHanshaw: To The Doilums that heard on TalkShite that Barry From Eastenders was buying a football club and even more so they were buying @SUFCRootsHall Well here it is.
@ConnorNeville3: Asif this is my hometown 🤣
@TerryDRFC: Brilliantly funny.
@FPLCucu: My hometown is massive
@leviP66: Erm what the fuck 🤣🤣
Mick Hogben: This needs to be an ongoing series 🤣
John A Murphy: Had to watch it all. 🙂
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