- Dragons taking in tour of the U.S.
- Hollywood owners at the helm
- Interest building around the world
WHAT HAPPENED? The Dragons have spent the last 15 years stuck in the non-league ranks of British football, but their reputation across the globe is beginning to rival that of more established Premier League outfits. That is a result of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney filling co-owner roles in North Wales, with their profile raising that of the club they acquired in February 2021 – while the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series has opened up a window to the world. Fresh from securing promotion back into the Football League last season, Wrexham are now preparing to face the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and the Philadelphia Union in pre-season fixtures, with the club finally crossing the Atlantic after two previous failed attempts.
WHAT THEY SAID: Club advisor Shaun Harvey, who has been working alongside Reynolds and McElhenney since their stunning takeover, has told The Athletic of a bid to break into the lucrative U.S. market: “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. 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, 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.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Wrexham are set to face Premier League giants Chelsea and United in stadiums that boast capacities of 50,000-plus, with Harvey hoping that Paul Mullin and Co are responsible for shifting some of those tickets. He added on arranging high-profile matches: “Our stance was they must know the market. 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?”
IN THREE PHOTOS:
WHAT NEXT? Wrexham are set to face Chelsea in North Carolina on Wednesday, before then tackling LA Galaxy II on July 22, Manchester United at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Atlanta on July 25 and the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park on July 28.