Wrexham fans have become used to seeing high-profile pre-season friendlies in the Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds era.
The end of the season is in sight, and Wrexham still have so much to play for in League One.
Phil Parkinson’s side sit second in the League One table, just one point ahead of Wycombe Wanderers.
Wrexham drew 0-0 at Wigan Athletic over the weekend and saw Wycombe cut the gap by beating Stevenage.
The situation is still in Wrexham’s hands, and Parkinson could be just weeks away from sealing a third straight promotion.
It may seem a little too early to think about the summer, but Wrexham are busy making pre-season plans.
Wrexham trip Down Under grows
Wrexham have become big news under Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, landing big friendlies in the United States as a result.
We have seen Wrexham take on Manchester United in the United States, with the McElhenney and Reynolds buzz sparking major crowds.
Wrexham’s 2024 pre-season tour featured games against Bournemouth, Chelsea and Reynolds’ hometown team, Vancouver Whitecaps.
Reports now suggest that Wrexham will be heading to Australia this summer, taking on Melbourne Victory at Marvel Stadium – a clear connection to Reynolds.
Wrexham will now be extending that trip Down Under and will have a number of dates across Australia and New Zealand.
Tom Morris of 9News in Australia reports that Wrexham will not only visit Melbourne, but also Sydney, Perth and then Auckland in New Zealand.
The plan is for Wrexham to play against more A-League teams, with Sydney FC, Western Sydney Wanderers, Macarthur FC, Perth Glory and Auckland FC all respective options if the games feature local teams, just like the Melbourne friendly.
“We told you two weeks ago, Welsh club Wrexham – made famous by the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary – is likely to come to Melbourne,” said Morris.
“What I can tell you tonight is they are definitely coming and will play against Melbourne Victory on Saturday, July 12.
“They’ll probably only be in Melbourne for a couple of days before moving on with their pre-season trip. They’re also planning to play games in Sydney, Perth and Auckland against other A-League teams,” he added.
Wrexham will surely make sure a home friendly ends pre-season
Wrexham found that the 2023 pre-season schedule left Parkinson’s side a little undercooked for the League One season.
Pre-season ended against Philadelphia Union in the United States, and Wrexham were beaten 5-3 by Milton Keynes Dons a week later.
In fact, Wrexham won just once in the first five games of the League Two season, seemingly showing some effects of the pre-season trip.
Shaun Harvey admitted that Wrexham made a mistake and made a change to last season’s preparations.
Rather than go straight from the pre-season tour into league action, Wrexham made sure a home pre-season game took place a week before the season started.
Wrexham will likely do the same again this year, continuing to learn from the errors of the 2023 pre-season campaign.