A sea of red descended on The University of North Carolina on Wednesday night. Not Manchester United fans, nor Arsenal supporters but Wrexham’s ever-growing US fanbase.
Wrexham mania in the United States is real. The League Two club kick-started their pre-season tour with a clash against Premier League giants Chelsea at the Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill.
Understandably the players were blown away by Mauricio Pochettino’s star-studded Blues but the level of support almost 4,000 miles away from the Racecourse continued to amaze.
Fans from across North America filled Wrexham’s ‘USA invasion’ fan park at the impressive and famous college sport facility before watching their side lose 5-0. Young and old rocked their red and gold ‘2022-23 Champions shirts’ while National League winners’ flags draped over their shoulders.
Transformed by the ownership of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the Stateside documentary Welcome To Wrexham has clearly had the desired effect.
Wrexham mania is taking off in American as fans flock to watch the League Two side
Wrexham supporters turned out in force in North Carolina as the Red Army shows their love for the Welsh side
Players such as Paul Mullin (left) are being given the Hollywood treatment by fans wanting signatures and selfies
Fans from Austin, Texas, told how they fell in love with the tale of the Welsh club, while another described it as a ‘Cinderella story’.
That fan from Baltimore, Maryland, made a special two-night trip to the Welsh city for their title parade back in May.
Amid the meteoric rise, supporters were in disbelief that their team was facing the two-time Champions League winners in their homeland.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson referred to the ‘surreal’ nature of the entire trip — Manchester United are still to come in San Diego, California — and he remained stunned by the popularity of the team.
The manager even revealed he was stopped by American fans just weeks ago on his own family holiday in Europe after their promotion-winning season.
‘It’s been incredible, we’ve had a great few days here, been really well looked after and received by everybody and to play in front of 50,000 tonight at a fantastic stadium like this was a great occasion for us,’ he said.
‘It’s been enjoyable and all around the area we’ve interacted with the fans and that’s a real pleasure. When we’ve been in the town over the last few days, the amount of people with their Wrexham shirts on or Wrexham caps has blown us all away, really.
‘It’s great to see and we hope that all our supporters over here can continue following us on this journey next season.’
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson referred to the ‘surreal’ nature of the entire trip
Wrexham were beaten by Chelsea in a pre-season friendly and will entertain Manchester United
The split among the 50,596-strong crowd was around 50-50 but it was certainly the Wrexham faithful who were the loudest.
Rare attacks in the Chelsea half were met with loud roars and cheers while captain Ben Tozer’s throw received plenty of appreciation. Fans got to see the weapon up close, after putting their arm muscles to the test at the fan fest challenge before kick-off.
They also became well-versed in chants, with What the sheep are they singing? booklets dotted around the site, showcasing official lyrics for the summer tour.
The campaign began at the college of Michael Jordan, who spent three seasons with the North Carolina Tar Heels before joining the Chicago Bulls and becoming a basketball legend.
Wrexham’s famous co-owner Ryan Reynolds (middle) has transformed the club into being a popular figure of American sports fans
There has even been merchandise on sale in North Carolina with the Wrexham co-owner’s name on the back
Filming of season two of the hit documentary is well under way as camera crews follow the squad’s every move and it appears it can’t get enough airtime.
Could Wrexham go from North Carolina to claiming trophies themselves? That’s certainly in the American owners’ ambitions.
The club’s USA tour next sees them take on LA Galaxy reserves tomorrow, then Manchester United before wrapping up against LA Galaxy reserves next weekend.
United are used to dominating support wherever they go and America is no different. But now there’s a new Red Army in town.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
Mail Online
