Wrexham owner Ryan Reynolds could be forced to RENAME club if Welsh Govt backs petition to axe ‘English-sounding’ places

WELSH language fanatics are campaigning to get rid of English-sounding place names in Wales.

If they succeed, Hollywood film star Ryan Reynolds would have to change the name of his beloved Wrexham footie team to Wrecsam.

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Ryan Reynolds may have to change the name of his beloved Wrexham footie team[/caption]

The club could change from Wrexham to Wrecsam

It would also mean the resort of Barry, the setting for much of Gavin and Stacey, becoming Barri, while Caerphilly would be known as Caerfilli.

A petition with 1,300 names demanding Welsh names for Welsh places, was presented to the Senedd by linguist Mihangel ap Rhisiart.

He said the change would show “respect for Wales as its own nation with its own history and culture”.

Cardiff, Swansea and Newport would remain unaltered as the Welsh alternatives would be too different.

Welsh language minister Jeremy Miles said there was a strong argument for the change but added: “We should aim for one spelling when there are a few letters of difference.”

Shopper Val Lewis, 54, said: “I have been going to Caerphilly for years so why change? It means more cost to businesses.”

Snowdonia officially became known as Eryri and the Brecon Beacons national park rebranded itself as Bannau Brycheiniog.

But it faced huge opposition – with even Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying he would use the old name of the Brecon Beacons.

National park bosses were accused by both UK Government ministers and Welsh Conservatives for attempting to look “trendy” with the move.

The park’s management said the decision was made because of links to wood-burning, carbon-emitting blazing beacons – which are not eco-friendly.