Wrexham fume after club branded 'circus' by rival manager Nathan Jones as Phil Parkinson bites back at Charlton boss ahead of promotion showdown

Jones drew attention on Monday following his side’s emphatic 4-0 win over fellow promotion hopefuls Wycombe Wanderers. In discussing the upcoming fixture with the Welsh side, Jones made an offhand remark that Wrexham's environment resembles a "circus," seemingly referencing the intense media attention surrounding the club.

Jones said: "All we do is take a game as it comes. We are not looking at the play-offs, we are not looking at Burton at home on the final game. We'll finish, we'll debrief, we'll breathe a little bit and then we'll move forward with Wrexham. It's a bumper game, we have to go to the circus and see what we can get."

Parkinson, the man steering Wrexham's remarkable rise through the English football pyramid, didn't mince his words in response to the comment. He took issue not only with the implication but also with the tone of Jones’ description, calling it deeply disrespectful.

"It is a lack of respect to our owners, the team, the staff, the supporters and the heritage of Wrexham Football Club. But we will just concentrate on what we've got to do," he said.

After facing mounting criticism, Jones later attempted to smooth things over, claiming that his comments had been taken the wrong way.

"I didn't mean the club or players or anything there because they are a very well run, excellent club," he added. "The owners there have done a fantastic job, not only galvanising a club and taking the club forward, they've actually taken a community which needed it as well. It's a Welsh community, so one that has heart and they've done a magnificent job.

"What I meant was what follows Wrexham around is a lot of pomp, a lot of ceremony, a lot of cameras, a lot of coverage, a lot of scrutiny. They've handled that very well. At times that can be a distraction, and I don't want it to be for our thing, so that's what I meant - hopefully that clears that."

With emotions running high and promotion on the line, Saturday’s matchup at the Racecourse Ground is set to be an explosive affair. The fallout from Jones’ comments may have added fuel to the fire, but both sides are aware that only performance on the pitch will matter when the whistle blows.

The Red Dragons currently hold second place in the League One standings, two points ahead of Wycombe and four clear of Charlton. A win this weekend, coupled with a Wycombe failure to beat Leyton Orient, would secure Wrexham’s promotion to the Championship.