wrexham us tour dates

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Wrexham afc announces north american summer tour dates.

Tickets for ‘The Wrex Coast Tour’ Available Today

The West Coast North American Tour Includes Matches in Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, and Vancouver.

WREXHAM, Wales, April 25, 2024 --( BUSINESS WIRE )--Wrexham AFC announced today the complete list of men’s first-team matches scheduled for the highly anticipated Summer Tour in the United States and Canada. The announcement comes on the heels of the Men’s recent promotion to League One, achieving back-to-back promotions. The Men’s team will compete in three matches during the ‘Wrex Coast Tour’ in Santa Barbara against AFC Bournemouth, Santa Clara against Chelsea FC, and Vancouver against Vancouver White Caps.

Wrexham AFC co-chairmen Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds shared the news in a video today, you can watch it here .

Wrexham AFC Men’s ‘Wrex Coast Tour’ Dates:

July 20, 2024 - Harder Stadium, Santa Barbara, CA - Wrexham Men's v. AFC Bournemouth

Tickets on sale TODAY at 12pm PT - HERE

July 24, 2024 - Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA - Wrexham Men's v. Chelsea FC

Tickets on sale NOW - HERE

July 27, 2024 - BC Place, Vancouver, Canada - Wrexham Men's v. Vancouver White Caps

"Last year’s US Tour was a fantastic experience, and a memorable trip for all the players and staff," said Phil Parkinson, Wrexham’s Men’s manager. "After another successful campaign, we’re delighted to be heading to the West Coast again this summer, and we’re also looking forward to venturing up to Vancouver and spreading the Club’s footprint into Canada. It will be a great chance to meet new supporters, while also building for the 2024/25 League One season."

Wrexham AFC is proud to welcome Ally Financial as a sponsor of the 2024 Wrex Coast Tour. As a leading brand in women's sports, Ally will also serve as the title sponsor of the Wrexham AFC Women’s summer tour. This year marks the debut of the Women’s team on the summer tour, with further details to follow.

Wrexham AFC’s current sponsors – Betty Buzz, Four Walls Whiskey, Gatorade, HP, STōK Cold Brew Coffee, and United Airlines – will all play a significant role throughout the tour to help bring the excitement of Wrexham to North American fans.

Tickets for the games with AFC Bournemouth, Chelsea FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC are available for pre-sale now. You can find the latest ticketing information and additional match details at WrexCoastTour.com .

About Wrexham AFC Wrexham Association Football Club is based in Wrexham, North Wales, and competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league pyramid. For the 2024/25 season, Wrexham will compete in League One – the third tier – after securing a second consecutive promotion . Formed in 1864, they are the oldest club in Wales and the third oldest professional team in the world. Wrexham has won the Welsh Cup a record 23 times and beaten some of the biggest clubs in the game in the English FA Cup and UEFA European Cup Winners Cup. The STōK Cae Ras, home to Wrexham AFC, is the world's oldest international stadium that still continues to host international games.

Wrexham AFC is owned by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. The goal of the new owners is to grow the team and establish Wrexham AFC as a Premier League club in front of increased attendances, and in an improved stadium, while making a positive difference to the wider community in Wrexham. This goal is being pursued through four guiding principles: i) to protect the heritage of Wrexham AFC; ii) to reinforce the values of the community; iii) to use Rob and Ryan's resources to grow the exposure of the club at home and abroad; and iv) to create a winning culture. For more information, please visit wrexhamafc.co.uk .

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240425107408/en/

Molly Alves [email protected]

Wrexham AFC Announces North American Summer Tour Dates

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Tickets for ‘The Wrex Coast Tour’ Available Today

Wrexham AFC Announces North American Summer Tour Dates Back to video

The West Coast North American Tour Includes Matches in Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, and Vancouver.

WREXHAM, Wales — Wrexham AFC announced today the complete list of men’s first-team matches scheduled for the highly anticipated Summer Tour in the United States and Canada. The announcement comes on the heels of the Men’s recent promotion to League One, achieving back-to-back promotions. The Men’s team will compete in three matches during the ‘Wrex Coast Tour’ in Santa Barbara against AFC Bournemouth, Santa Clara against Chelsea FC, and Vancouver against Vancouver White Caps.

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Wrexham AFC co-chairmen Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds shared the news in a video today, you can watch it here .

Wrexham AFC Men’s ‘Wrex Coast Tour’ Dates:

July 20, 2024 – Harder Stadium, Santa Barbara, CA – Wrexham Men’s v. AFC Bournemouth

Tickets on sale TODAY at 12pm PT – HERE

July 24, 2024 – Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA – Wrexham Men’s v. Chelsea FC

Tickets on sale NOW – HERE

July 27, 2024 – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada – Wrexham Men’s v. Vancouver White Caps

“Last year’s US Tour was a fantastic experience, and a memorable trip for all the players and staff,” said Phil Parkinson, Wrexham’s Men’s manager. “After another successful campaign, we’re delighted to be heading to the West Coast again this summer, and we’re also looking forward to venturing up to Vancouver and spreading the Club’s footprint into Canada. It will be a great chance to meet new supporters, while also building for the 2024/25 League One season.”

Wrexham AFC is proud to welcome Ally Financial as a sponsor of the 2024 Wrex Coast Tour. As a leading brand in women’s sports, Ally will also serve as the title sponsor of the Wrexham AFC Women’s summer tour. This year marks the debut of the Women’s team on the summer tour, with further details to follow.

Wrexham AFC’s current sponsors – Betty Buzz, Four Walls Whiskey, Gatorade, HP, STōK Cold Brew Coffee, and United Airlines – will all play a significant role throughout the tour to help bring the excitement of Wrexham to North American fans.

Tickets for the games with AFC Bournemouth, Chelsea FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC are available for pre-sale now. You can find the latest ticketing information and additional match details at WrexCoastTour.com .

About Wrexham AFC Wrexham Association Football Club is based in Wrexham, North Wales, and competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league pyramid. For the 2024/25 season, Wrexham will compete in League One – the third tier – after securing a second consecutive promotion . Formed in 1864, they are the oldest club in Wales and the third oldest professional team in the world. Wrexham has won the Welsh Cup a record 23 times and beaten some of the biggest clubs in the game in the English FA Cup and UEFA European Cup Winners Cup. The STōK Cae Ras, home to Wrexham AFC, is the world’s oldest international stadium that still continues to host international games.

Wrexham AFC is owned by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. The goal of the new owners is to grow the team and establish Wrexham AFC as a Premier League club in front of increased attendances, and in an improved stadium, while making a positive difference to the wider community in Wrexham. This goal is being pursued through four guiding principles: i) to protect the heritage of Wrexham AFC; ii) to reinforce the values of the community; iii) to use Rob and Ryan’s resources to grow the exposure of the club at home and abroad; and iv) to create a winning culture. For more information, please visit wrexhamafc.co.uk .

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240425107408/en/

Molly Alves [email protected]

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Wrexham usa tour 2023: schedule, tickets, stadiums and more, share this article.

As its popularity explodes in the United States, the next step for Wrexham AFC looks like an obvious one: tour the United States.

The “Welcome to Wrexham” stars will head stateside in the summer of 2023, with some high-profile matches on their agenda.

Already, matches against Chelsea and Manchester United have been confirmed for the  newly minted League Two side, with games against the reserves of the LA Galaxy and Philadelphia Union also on the docket.

In addition, Wrexham has been confirmed for The Soccer Tournament, a $1 million winner-take-all event in Cary, North Carolina that will feature 7v7 games.

Here are Wrexham’s fixtures for its 2023 summer tour of the United States, including how to purchase tickets.

Wrexham USA tour 2023

July 19: Wrexham vs Chelsea — Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill, NC. TICKETS.

July 22: Wrexham vs LA Galaxy II — Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA. 7:30 p.m. local. TICKETS .

July 25: Wrexham vs Man Utd — Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA. 7:30 p.m. local. TICKETS.

July 28: Wrexham vs Philadelphia Union II — Subaru Park, Chester, PA. 7:30 p.m. local. TICKETS .

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Wrexham to play Bournemouth, Whitecaps in US summer tour

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Ryan Reynolds’ Wrexham returning to play in US in July

FILE - Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds, center, celebrates with members of the Wrexham FC soccer team the promotion to the Football League in Wrexham, Wales, on May 2, 2023. Ryan Reynolds’ Wrexham is headed back to the United States. The low-level Welsh club which has gained global recognition after being bought by Hollywood duo Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, will play English Premier League side Chelsea on July 24. (AP Photo/Jon Super, File)

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WREXHAM, Wales (AP) — Ryan Reynolds’ Wrexham is headed back to the United States.

The low-level Welsh club which has gained global recognition after being bought by Hollywood duo Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, will play English Premier League side Chelsea on July 24 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Wrexham also played Chelsea plus Manchester United on an offseason U.S. tour last year.

Reynolds and McElhenney have transformed the fortunes of Wrexham, which was a down-on-its-luck non-league team before their investment. Players and staff have become crossover stars thanks to the documentary series “Welcome to Wrexham.”

On the field, Wrexham won promotion to the English fourth division last season. It is challenging for a second successive promotion this season.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Wrexham, Bournemouth announce new dates for US summer friendlies

W rexham and Premier League side Bournemouth have revealed that they will face off in a summer friendly in the United States. The Welsh club recently announced plans for a full tour of America in the coming months. This previous statement involved a preseason fixture against Chelsea on July 24 in Santa Clara, CA. However, the soon-to-be League One side now adds two more matches to their tour.

The Red Dragons will open their preseason preparations against Bournemouth on July 20 in Santa Barbara, CA. The matchup will be played at Harder Stadium, UC-Santa Barbara’s multi-purpose arena. Although originally designed for the college’s football program, the stadium is now the home of their men’s and women’s soccer teams. It currently holds a max capacity of around 17,000 fans after completing renovations in 2010.

Wrexham is set to travel up the California coast to face Chelsea four days later in Santa Clara. After playing the Blues, the Welsh side will then continue north to face the Vancouver Whitecaps on July 27. The Canadian city is the home of Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds.

“Last year Rob [McElhenney] got to bring Wrexham to Philly. This year it’s my turn,” proclaimed Reynolds. “I am so excited my hometown club the Whitecaps will get to square off against the Red Dragons. My official stance on the match will be a very friendly ‘neutral’ even if I will be screaming for a Paul Mullin hat trick.”

Wrexham has issued two separate pre-sale codes for the Bournemouth and Whitecaps games. These tickets can now be available for purchase by using codes WRXBOU (Bournemouth) and VANWRX (Vancouver).

Wrexham’s preseason schedule (local times):

• Bournemouth vs. Wrexham – July 20, time TBD – Santa Barbara, CA – Harder Stadium: Tickets TBD.
• Chelsea vs. Wrexham – July 24, time TBD – Santa Clara, CA – Levi’s Stadium: Tickets .
• Vancouver vs. Wrexham – July 27, 4:30 p.m. – Vancouver, Canada – BC Place: Tickets TBD.

Bournemouth will play two preseason friendlies in the US

Much like Wrexham’s decision to play in Vancouver, American owner Bill Foley arranged for Bournemouth to set up camp in Los Angeles. The Cherries are set to train extensively at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles this summer. The facilities are the home of Major League Soccer side L.A. Galaxy . Foley currently owns the Hotel Californian, a luxury hotel in nearby Santa Barbara.

“It’s great that we’re able to take the team back to the U.S. for the first time in nearly ten years,” proclaimed Bournemouth’s president of business Jim Frevola. “I’m so excited to head out there to see and grow our fanbase in the area, and to continue to develop the club off the field.”

“We were thrilled by the recent Premier League event in Nashville, and now we can’t wait to meet with more Cherries fans out on the west coast.”

Along with facing Wrexham, Bournemouth will schedule an additional summer friendly Stateside as well. The opponent for this particular fixture is still unknown.

Cherries become seventh Premier League club to reveal American tour

The Cherries become the latest Premier League side to announce plans for a summer tour of the United States. Top clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United all previously revealed their intentions of playing friendlies across the pond. Aston Villa is playing a three-game excursion of America as well.

However, English clubs will not be the only major European sides to make preseason preparations in the U.S. Several other top teams from Spain, Italy and Germany are also part of the schedule of summer friendlies in the United States .

PHOTO: UC Santa Barbara

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Posted: Fri 8th Mar 2024

Wrex Coast Tour: Wrexham v Chelsea fixture announced as part of new USA Tour

Chelsea FC and Wrexham AFC, will return to the United States this summer for a July 24 match at Levi’s® Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.

The two teams played against each other last summer in front of a sold-out crowd at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

“It is great to be playing Wrexham once again, following the success of last year’s encounter in Chapel Hill. We look forward to playing in front of our loyal supporters based in California at the Levi’s® Stadium, which is sure to create a wonderful atmosphere,” said Chelsea F.C. Chief Executive Officer, Chris Jurasek.

This match will be one of Wrexham AFC’s three U.S. matches this summer as part of their 2024 Wrex Coast Tour, additional match details forthcoming.

Wrexham AFC manager Phil Parkinson said: “We’re looking forward to returning to the United States for our summer tour, and the match at Levi’s® Stadium against Chelsea promises to be an exciting and memorable occasion – as well as an important part of our pre-season preparations.It was a great privilege to meet fans in the US last summer, and we’re excited to see more of our passionate supporters in San Francisco in July.”

Geoff Jones, Group CEO of event promotors TEG said: “We are thrilled to be able to bring the iconic powerhouse club, Chelsea FC back to the US, as well as the captivating story that is Wrexham AFC back to California”

Named Sports Facility of the Year for 2015 by Sports Business Journal, Levi’s® Stadium is home to the San Francisco 49ers and serves as one of the world’s most technologically advanced and sustainable sports and entertainment venues. The $1.2 billion venue consists of 1.85 million square feet and 68,500 seats, including 175 luxury suites and 9,000 club seats, and was designed by HNTB and built by Turner/Devcon for the Santa Clara Stadium Authority

Pre-sale opens Monday, March 11th at 9:00 AM PT via Ticketmaster. To register for pre-sale, fans are advised to visit https://laylo.com/teg_sport/dC4sQ .

Tickets for the general public will go on sale on Ticketmaster Wednesday, March 13th, at 9:00 AM PT.

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Wrexham USA Tour: Dates, venues, fixtures and highlights of Wrexham's visit to the USA

The Welsh team will be on a four-match tour of the USA.

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Wrexham AFC is a Welsh football team that has been the talk of the world in the last year.

That's mainly because of two things: they are owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, and a few weeks ago they secured the dream win to secure the National League championship and automatic promotion to League Two, which has everyone at the club thrilled.

That will also allow them to have a different pre-season to what they have experienced in recent years with a tour of the United State,s where they will have the opportunity to take on local teams, but also two powerful Premier League clubs who will also be in the country as part of their pre-season tours.

Wrexham's trip to the United States will begin on July 19 and end on July 28, during which time they will play four matches: two against Chelsea and Manchester United , and also against the reserves of Los Angeles Galaxy and Philadelphia Union, as the first teams will be in contention for the Leagues Cup.

"We enjoy meeting fans who have travelled from the United States to visit us this season, and it will be a fantastic occasion to play against American opposition in front of more of these new fans," said coach Phil Parkinson in a statement announcing the summer tour.

Wrexham dates, venues and fixtures in the USA

19 July: Wrexham vs Chelsea - Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill, NC

July 22: Wrexham vs LA Galaxy II - Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA

July 25: Wrexham vs Manchester United - Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA

28 July: Wrexham vs Philadelphia Union II - Subaru Park, Chester, PA

While the match against the Red Devils might be the most attractive in the history of the club that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought, the tickets that sold out were for the match against Chelsea.

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‘It’s mind-blowing’: with Wrexham in the US – next stop Manchester United

League Two club’s Hollywood existence has taken them to LA and they see no reason why they cannot reach Premier League

North Carolina, Los Angeles, San Diego: the three stops on the first US tour in the widening horizons of Wrexham under their Hollywood A-list owners , Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

After losing 5-0 to Chelsea in front of 50,596 spectators at Kenan Memorial Stadium and beating LA Galaxy II 4-0 (10,553, Dignity Health Sports Park), Phil Parkinson’s promoted League Two team face Manchester United at the Snapdragon Stadium at 7.30pm Pacific time on Tuesday (3.30am BST), about 20 miles from Mexico.

Founded in 1864 at the Turf Hotel, the world’s third-oldest professional club now exists in an orbit of Disney (via the Welcome to Wrexham documentary) and multinational sponsors: United Airlines (shirt), Betty Buzz (training kit) and SToK Cold Brew Coffee (the tour of the States and ground rebrand as the SToK Racecourse).

Through all this Parkinson has a side to manage, expectations to hold down as he plots for the visit of MK Dons when pre-season’s phoney war ends and League Two starts on Saturday week.

“We have to separate the Hollywood aspect away from the training ground,” the manager says. “The documentary is only successful if the team is doing well. It has been a great tour so far, very exciting for us. We were blown away by the reception in North Carolina, and for our area the positivity is incredible, our profile has raised spirits in Wrexham.

“Long may that continue – especially with Rob and Ryan putting in place the structures at the club, which is the most important.”

The trip across the US is down to the exposure caused by the documentary, which has made unlikely breakout stars of the club and town. And the squad. It means Paul Mullin, a journeyman striker who is Parkinson’s best player, can be recognised in Chapel Hill, the modest North Carolina town where Wrexham lost to Chelsea.

The 28-year-old says: “Nothing surprises any more. We’d been there two hours and I was walking down the street to get a drink, and a car drove past and stopped and the driver wound the window down and started singing ‘Super Paul Mullin’. But football is why we are here.”

Ben Tozer, Wrexham’s club captain, echoes his teammate. “It’s mind-blowing – we never realised how big it would be in America,” he says. “I was walking along the beach here in San Diego and people were stopping me for a photo.”

Parkinson, Mullin and Tozer are talking at the Marriott Mission Valley hotel where, outside, Brian Flynn, the former Wrexham player and manager of 12 years, is in black training kit and telling a reporter: “When I was told about America and asked to come I said: ‘I’m coming, don’t ask again.’”

Nearby is Ben Foster, the former England and United goalkeeper whose added-time penalty save against promotion rivals Notts County at Easter helped propel Wrexham to automatic promotion. The 40-year-old jokes about his YouTube channel then happily poses for a photograph with a young fan who is wearing a United shirt.

Parkinson, who is managing his seventh club, offers a shrewd take on what he oversees: “Ben has played for his country, he epitomises what we want. He has stuff going on off the field but when he trains he is incredible. He adds to the group.

“Commercially for the club it is important, the tour. Everyone has tried to get the balance right. The reason we are here is because the second series of the documentary is coming out. I have not detected any jealousy. All the people I’ve spoken to at away grounds [at home], opposition players – they’ve all enjoyed the story.

“They want to beat us but when we have a drink afterwards people say: ‘I loved watching the show.’ And opposition fans say the same, so I haven’t really picked up any anti-Wrexham feeling, because genuine football people love the story. Teams go the extra yard to beat us, but I haven’t detected jealousy.”

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Wrexham are favourites to claim a second successive promotion and the inevitable question is whether Premier League football is a credible dream. Parkinson says: “When you look at teams like Luton, who have gone up, you have to say: ‘Why not?’ Because Luton were in this position I don’t think it’s a case of us getting carried away with it ourselves. If you understand that you need to build a club properly and put the foundations in place, like Luton Town have done, then why can’t Wrexham emulate them one day?

“Years ago Bournemouth, under Eddie Howe, were on the brink of going out of business, and got into the Premier League. Blackpool have also got into the Premier League, so there’s lots of examples. So why not Wrexham? But at the moment we’re concentrating on the start of this season.”

At the Snapdragon Parkinson’s men will take on a United of mostly junior players, though the 35-year-old Jonny Evans will feature. McElhenney will be at the game but Reynolds is in London filming Deadpool 3. “It won’t get much bigger than Man Utd and Chelsea,” Parkinson says. “It is incredible to test yourself against this level of players – not just the technical ability, the power and pace of them – and I like to think we are ready for the test.

“Chelsea was an interesting game. They were clinical in the final third and with the final pass. That quality is what separates teams.”

Parkinson does not view playing aUnited second XI as disrespectful towards his side. “We have to be realistic,” he says. “If Man Utd had their first team out we wouldn’t have the ball. This will be good for us.”

Down time Stateside has included a tour of Tinseltown and on Wednesday some of the travelling party will catch a baseball game between San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates. “I’m not going,” says Parkinson. “It’s my wife’s birthday.”

All Wrexham enthusiasts at the moment feel as if it is their own very special day – every day.

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Wrexham announce usa summer tour dates and opponents for their ‘wrex coast tour’.

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Wrexham will play Bournemouth and Major League Soccer (MLS) side Vancouver Whitecaps as part of their North American tour in July, the Welsh club said on Thursday after they secured back-to-back promotions earlier this month.

The fan-favorite club co-owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney earned promotion to League One, the third tier of English soccer, for the first time in 19 years.

Wrexham USA tour 2024

• July 20: Wrexham vs. Bournemouth | Harder Stadium | Santa Barbara, California 
• July 24: Wrexham vs. Chelsea | Levi's Stadium | Santa Clara, California
• July 27: Wrexham vs. Vancouver Whitecaps | BC Place | Vancouver, Canada

Dragons will fly in the US again - the Wrex Coast Tour returns this summer. Get your tickets today. ⚪ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/DMLJAC7TeK — Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) April 25, 2024

The club will play Premier League Bournemouth in Santa Barbara, California, on July 20 and the Whitecaps in Vancouver on July 27. The club previously announced a fixture against Chelsea that will take place on July 24 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The "Wrex Coast Tour" comes after a successful trip to the United States last summer, which included a meeting with Chelsea in front of a sold-out crowd in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

POV pic.twitter.com/mThprODY5S — FC Series (@FC_series) July 20, 2023

"Last year’s US Tour was a fantastic experience, and a memorable trip for all the players and staff," manager Phil Parkinson said in a statement.

"It will be a great chance to meet new supporters, while also building for the 2024/25 League One season."

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York Editing by Toby Davis)

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Wrexham’s U.S. tour: A chance to grow ‘mindblowing’ support and push turnover towards $26m

Wrexham ’s turnover this season could hit £20million ($26m), a remarkable sum that would eclipse the income levels of even some established Championship clubs.

A lucrative summer of sponsorship deals with the likes of United Airlines and Stok Cold Brew Coffee partly explains why club insiders believe such a figure may well be achievable in their first season back in the EFL.

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There is the upcoming second series of Welcome to Wrexham , the documentary that has put the club bought by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney on the global sporting map.

And then there is the two-week tour of the United States featuring Phil Parkinson and his players. Friendlies against Chelsea and Manchester United have sold out as supporters in North America finally get their chance to see Paul Mullin, Elliot Lee and co play live.

Wrexham will face the second-string sides of LA Galaxy and Philadelphia Union — the MLS duo’s first teams are this month involved in the expanded Leagues Cup, competing against their Mexican counterparts from Liga MX — before flying home ahead of the new season.

It is not your usual itinerary for a fourth-tier club who have spent the past 15 years in non-League. But, as that projected £20million turnover figure illustrates, Wrexham are not your usual League Two outfit.

This much was brought home to Shaun Harvey, a key advisor to the board since Reynolds and McElhenney first considered buying the club in 2020 , when attending this summer’s inaugural TST tournament in Cary, North Carolina.

“The support for the club was mindblowing,” he says about a four-day competition in June that saw half of the 30,000 tickets sold to fans backing a team of former Wrexham players .

“People had travelled from all over America to go to the TST Tournament and see Wrexham play. All on the back of the documentary. It was unbelievable to be sitting there and thinking, ‘I’m in North Carolina and there’s more people shouting for Wrexham than any other team’.

“I’d expect this to be even bigger, though.”

Andy Morell pumping up the @Wrexham_AFC Red Dragon fans after their lNSANE TST WIN! Are the @Wrexham_AFC supporters the best fans in the world, or what⁉️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 pic.twitter.com/xRPFJH0sNm — TST (@TST7v7) June 1, 2023

Harvey has led Wrexham’s negotiations with the various agencies and governing bodies over a tour that has been some time in the making.

“When Rob and Ryan took over, one of the objectives away from delivering success on the pitch and benefiting Wrexham as a town was to grow the global appeal of the club,” Harvey says.

“There were a couple of attempts to get to the U.S. before this summer. In the first close season after Rob and Ryan had come in (2021), we did speak to Philadelphia Union about going over for a game.

“But the travel restrictions due to COVID-19 were extensive and it quickly became apparent it wasn’t going to be practical. The following summer, we again spoke about playing Philly.

“That time, though, the lack of certainty over where we would be playing the next season (Wrexham lost in the 2021-22 National League play-offs), plus the vaccinations status of the players and so on, made things too complicated.

“This summer has been very different. Thanks to the documentary being a great success, suddenly a lot of clubs now want to play Wrexham. That meant opportunities were coming to us.”

Just as with the documentary — Wrexham do not receive a fee for the show but use the global exposure to drive commercial operations and lure blue-chip sponsors like United Airlines on board — the tour is expected to bring only a modest direct boost to club coffers.

“The tour is more an investment in the future,” says Harvey. “Primarily, the objective is to continue building the profile and fanbase, rather than an immediate financial return. This then comes further down the line, by that fanbase becoming part of the club’s journey.”

Phil Parkinson chuckles when asked about his first pre-season as a manager, exactly 20 years ago when in charge of League One side Colchester United.

“It was a bit different to this summer,” he says. “There was no trip away. Teams from the lower divisions didn’t really do that back then. What I most remember is turning up to train at Essex University on our first day and the ground being absolutely bone dry. No one had watered it for ages.

“I’d got the job a few months earlier (he steered Colchester away from relegation trouble after being appointed in late February 2003) and decided to let quite a few players go.

“The problem was we hadn’t managed to get the replacements I wanted through the door in time for pre-season, meaning we had a pretty threadbare squad to work with.”

Parkinson has no such fears about his Wrexham squad’s readiness for the coming campaign. Huddersfield Town defender Will Boyle is the only new face, with the club prepared to be patient, safe in the knowledge that recruitment in previous transfer windows means the squad is equipped to compete in League Two.

“It is vital we get the right fit,” the 55-year-old Parkinson says. “Not just in terms of how they play and their quality but also as people. This is a unique experience to be part of. They have to be the right ones to fit in with a very, very tight group of lads who have driven each other on.”

Where Parkinson is stepping slightly into the unknown is over the length of the tour and the destination. The furthest he has taken a squad in the past is Sweden in 2016 as Bolton Wanderers manager, while his four pre-seasons at the helm of Bradford City brought three consecutive training camps in Ireland followed by Scotland.

“We’ve spoken to a few people who have been on this sort of trip before,” he says. “Both on the medical side and the coaching side at other clubs. Just to pick their brains on what works and what doesn’t.

“Jet lag is one of those things we need to be aware of. That’s why a lot of planning has gone into the trip. There is a lot of travelling but the opportunity to go to the States — both commercially for the club and as an experience for this group of players and staff — is a fantastic one.”

Parkinson and Harvey liaised closely during the planning. Training facilities and proximity to the team hotel formed a big part of the early talks, with both realising the importance of the next two weeks when it comes to being ready for the August 5 opener against MK Dons.

To aid that process, preparations have been rejigged since the squad returned for pre-season training towards the end of June. There was an in-house game and then a behind-closed-doors friendly against Bala Town was arranged before the squad flew out to North Carolina on Sunday. “We wanted to get just the right amount of minutes into each player before the trip,” says Parkinson. “This is quite a different pre-season, in that we are away for two weeks, so we had to maximise the benefits of our time in the UK.”

Planning for the tour has had to be equally flexible. The July 25 meeting with Manchester United at San Diego’s 51,000-capacity Snapdragon Stadium was the first to be confirmed this year after negotiations had begun in the autumn.

A publicity video featuring a video call between Wrexham’s Hollywood owners and Sir Alex Ferguson followed, which ended with Reynolds panicking and hanging up on the silent managerial great who then reveals the pair had been on mute throughout.

50% Dragon. 50% Devil. 100% Red. Wrexham play @ManUtd in San Diego, July 25th! 🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/w7zUjB3d3K — Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) March 27, 2023

In terms of Wrexham’s programme of fixtures across the Atlantic, former EFL chief executive Harvey says: “We were adamant that, if playing Manchester United in San Diego, we needed another game on the west coast. That led us to Los Angeles — which is where Rob lives — and the Galaxy.

“Having had two aborted attempts with Philly Union, there was no way we weren’t going to play them this time if it could be scheduled. It is also on its way back from the west coast.

“We always wanted four games, thinking that was just about right for the distance we are travelling and having the players together. Then the opportunity to play Chelsea came up, primarily because they were contracted with an agent who believed Wrexham was a lot more attractive a proposition than our league status would suggest.”

Even allowing for how the United XI is likely to be made up of Under-21s players due to the first team facing Real Madrid in Texas the following day, landing fixtures against two of the Premier League’s biggest names raised plenty of eyebrows.

So, too, did how the Chelsea and United fixtures are being played in stadiums boasting a 50,000-plus capacity. “Our stance was they must know the market,” says Harvey. “The Manchester United game sold out very quickly.

“We don’t know yet what numbers will be there to support us or the opposition. And I’m not going to say we have more supporters than Manchester United in America.

“But it will be fascinating to see the makeup of the crowd. How many are there to watch the Premier League team? And how many to watch Wrexham?”

The players have had a taste of the spotlight that seems to follow the club’s every move on this tour, having spent five days celebrating promotion in Las Vegas last May. For Parkinson and his coaching staff, however, this will be a new experience.

“I went on holiday this summer in Europe but still got a taste,” says the former Sunderland manager. “There were a lot of American tourists around and they’d all want to come up and speak to me about Wrexham.

“I’d be in a bar, walking down the street, it didn’t matter. I was a little bit taken aback by it all. It’s great for the club to have such a high profile.”

The tour is likely to be just as important commercially. With the ink still drying on those seven-figure sponsorship deals, the next fortnight provides an opportunity to bolster the brand further.

Throw in the imminent release of Welcome to Wrexham’s second series and it is easy to see why an annual turnover of £20million is seen as an achievable goal.

For context, Bradford City — comfortably the fourth tier’s best-supported club last season, with an average attendance of 17,000 — posted revenue of £7.3million in their last set of published accounts (2021-22), while Luton Town, now in the Premier League, earned £17.4million across the same period and losing Championship play-off finalists Coventry City £18.1million.

Wrexham’s turnover in 2021-22 stood at £5.97million , more than quadrupling their revenue of £1.47million in the year that included the Reynolds and McElhenney takeover going through in February 2021.

No wonder this summer’s tour could be just the start for the Welsh club in the United States.

“Unless something happens that we’ve not perceived as a possibility, then it is difficult to see why touring the U.S. would not become an annual affair,” says Harvey.

(Top photo: Wrexham fans at the Red Dragons’ opening TST match against Como 1907 in Cary, NC; by Rooted Creative x TST)

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Wrexham to face Bournemouth and Whitecaps on 'Wrex Coast Tour'

Herculez Gomez says Wrexham's back-to-back promotions is a great story but one only achieved with the backing of Hollywood owners. (1:17)

Wrexham have added fixtures against Bournemouth and Vancouver Whitecaps to their preseason "Wrex Coast Tour," the Welsh club announced Thursday.

Having previously confirmed a match against Chelsea on July 24 in Santa Clara, California, Wrexham will now face Bournemouth four days earlier on July 20, in Santa Barbara, and the Whitecaps in Vancouver on July 27.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

"After another successful campaign, we're delighted to be heading to the West Coast again this summer, and we're also looking forward to venturing up to Vancouver and spreading the Club's footprint into Canada," Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said in a statement.

The matches will form part of Wrexham's preparations for their first season in League One -- English football's third tier -- having secured a second straight promotion by beating Forest Green 6-0 on April 13.

Wrexham, owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, face League Two champions Stockport County on Saturday in the final game of their season.