Wrexham are gearing up for another pre-season in the United States, with Phil Parkinson now issuing a surprising verdict about the US fanbase.
Wrexham have come a long way since the National League days when they would travel to the likes of Boreham Wood and Torquay United.
Now, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at the helm, they’re currently preparing for their Wrex Coast tour of the United States and Canada.
Last season, the Welsh side came up against Manchester United and Chelsea as Phil Parkinson’s squad got a taste of how popular they are out there.
Wrexham’s fanbase, particularly in the US, has blown up since the Hollywood owners took control of the club in February 2021, with Parkinson now explaining what surprised him most about the support in the United States.
Phil Parkinson says what surprised him about Wrexham supporters in the US
It sometimes doesn’t hit home how popular Wrexham are until it’s seen in the flesh, with Shaun Harvey previously revealing how approximately 5,000 households in the US tuned in to watch the Reds on iFollow last season.
Many believe the heightened support in the US is due to the Welcome to Wrexham documentary however, Parkinson was left starstruck about how closely they followed the team despite living thousands of miles away.
Speaking to the Athletic, Parkinson said: “From the moment we first arrived, the support was incredible.
“Even at our first port of call in North Carolina, we’re thinking maybe it’s just like this because of what had happened in TST (The Soccer Tournament, when 50 per cent of the 30,000 tickets sold had been to Wrexham fans) a few weeks earlier.
“But then we moved on to the other side of the country and it was the same. The Wrexham story resonated with so many people. What really struck me was how closely they followed the team and not just the story of the town and the people, which had been told in the documentary.
“At that stage, the second series had not been shown but they knew everything that had happened. Real in-depth knowledge of certain games during the run-in.”
Wrexham’s pre-season fixtures in the United States
Wrexham announced a double signing of goalkeeper Callum Burton and Sebastian Revan on Monday, who will join up with the rest of the first-team squad in the US.
Parkinson’s men are currently preparing for their clash against Premier League side Bournemouth on Friday, July 19th at Harder Stadium, Santa Barbara, CA.
Then they will take on Chelsea on July 24th at the Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA before breaking new ground breaking new ground with a visit to Canadian co-owner Reynolds’ home city to take on Vancouver Whitecaps.
Ahead of a gruelling campaign in League One, testing themselves against Premier League and MLS opposition is the perfect preparation.
Parkinson will use these matches as an opportunity to experiment with different players and most importantly, get a better idea of where his side is currently at.