Wrexham and Yeovil appear to have forged an unlikely rivalry after Aldi sponsored the Non-League side right before the FA Cup fixture.
The two teams will do battle in the second round of the competition on Sunday at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground in north Wales as Phil Parkinson’s side continue to push for their Hollywood dream of success.
A win could earn the club, owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, a lucrative draw in round three that could see them receive even more global coverage than they have picked up since the takeover.
And the reason is likely because Wrexham agreed a bumper three-year deal with M&S Food in November, meaning the two supermarkets will once again battle off-the-field, with M&S dealing the first blow.
Yeovil and Wrexham have formed an unlikely rivalry after Aldi sponsored the former for their FA Cup match this weekend
Yeovil’s mascot, the Jolly Green Giant, has reportedly been refused the chance to lead the team out in its new kit
Wrexham secured a lucrative partnership with M&S Food earlier on this year, with the brand previously feuding with Aldi
Yeovil posted on X on Sunday morning that their mascot, the Jolly Green Giant, has been banned from leading Yeovil out ahead of the match, donning its new Aldi kit.
‘Unfortunately we’ve been refused permission for our mascots to lead out the team today,’ they posted. ‘However, you can still catch them at the ground before the game. #notsojolly #freecuthbert #YTFC.’
The use of the hashtag ‘free Cuthbert’ refers to the battle the two shops had a few months ago regarding a caterpillar cake, with M&S angered by Aldi’s introduction of Cuthbert the Caterpillar.
M&S have proudly sold their Colin the Caterpillar dessert for many years, and went back-and-forth with their rivals both on social media, also launching a lawsuit, which was unsuccessful.
Wrexham responded with a picture of a blow-up Percy Pig, with the caption: ‘Not just any FA Cup tie… Watch your back, Cuthbert. #WxmAFC #TeamColin #TeamPercy’
Aldi claimed innocence regarding Wrexham being sponsored by M&S, who opened a lawsuit against them a few months ago
Wrexham shared an image of a blow-up Percy Pig on social media, telling Cuthbert the Caterpillar to watch its back
Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds (left) and Rob McElhenney (right) have brought lots of attention to the club
Following the announcement of Aldi’s sponsorship, their X account posted: ‘Wait. When we booked an impromptu sponsorship of @YTFC no one told us they were playing the M&S Sponsored @Wrexham_AFC tomorrow #WhatAreTheChances #TeamYeovil #ytfc.’
Wrexham posted prior to the agreement that ‘hundreds’ of Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar soft toys had attended a match, sharing: ‘ Ok, we’re not sure if Wrexham A.F.C have played in front of a crowd quite like this before…
‘Hundreds of our NEW Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar soft toys attended Wrexham’s most recent game, and it’s fair to say they absolutely loved it!’
Wrexham have been approached for comment.
