ByIan Mitchelmore

BBC Sport Wales

Published

26 minutes ago

As Wrexham presented their fresh 2026-27 home kit while sounding the Nasdaq bell in New York's famous Times Square, it was clear the club's standing has never been stronger.

Club legends including Mickey Thomas, Steven Fletcher, Ben Tozer and Ben Foster joined the event in The Big Apple, proudly wearing the new red shirt.

The occasion marked the release of their updated home strip, featuring another major international sponsor.

This aligns with their strong transatlantic presence, which stands out in the Championship and even among some Premier League sides.

"Every visit Wrexham makes to the U.S. leaves us amazed by the welcome," co-owners Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds told Sports Illustrated.

"Fan backing keeps expanding, so returning to meet supporters face to face felt essential."

The Red Dragons are past the midpoint of their pre-season visit to the United States, marking their third trip across the Atlantic in four years.

This contrasts sharply with the summer of 2021, Phil Parkinson's first pre-season in north Wales, when Wrexham met Burnley's Under-23s, Tamworth, a Fleetwood Town XI, Spennymoor Town and Curzon Ashton.

Red Excitement Across the US

Just days after the World Cup final in New Jersey, Wrexham began their tour strongly with a 3-2 victory over Premier League Leeds United at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida.

A tight 1-0 defeat to Liverpool, the 2024-25 Premier League champions, came next at New York's Yankee Stadium, yet the side can draw real positives from the performance.

The Red Dragons close the tour against Parkinson's old team Sunderland at Subaru Park, home of Philadelphia Union, in Chester, Pennsylvania on Sunday, 2 August (17:00 BST).

These high-profile matches form the main football focus as Wrexham prepare for a level that allows them to challenge for promotion next term.

On a wider scale, the aim stays on expanding Wrexham as a brand, and timing this after the biggest World Cup yet offered a chance too good to pass up.

Fans noticing Wrexham shirts for sale beside Real Madrid kits in New York highlighted the reach.

Players themselves have been surprised by the level of American interest in the club.

"We took a short break and visited the mall, where a few young fans asked for photos, which felt good," defender Callum Doyle said.

The latest tour again demonstrates the club's strong draw in the US.

Printers Alley sports bar, near the kit launch site, regularly airs Wrexham games and once hosted former captain Neil Roberts.

"We see steady crowds for every Wrexham match, whether it starts at 07:45am or midday," said Eddie O'Doherty, the bar's manager.

Before the Liverpool game, the venue also welcomed around 200 Wrexham fans for a live Fearless in Devotion podcast.

"It shows how Wrexham have succeeded both on the pitch and in winning fans, not only in New York City but globally," O'Doherty added.

"We are proud to serve as the New York City base for the Wrexham team and supporters from around the world.

"It has been a privilege to join what Wrexham have created and continue to build, both at home and worldwide."

A Careful Balancing Act

High-profile friendlies and major commercial deals require careful management.

Wrexham will have covered nearly 9,000 air miles on their US tour alone this summer.

The total grows further with earlier trips to Poland and Finland to face Wisla Krakow and Manchester United in July.

The heavy travel prompted Parkinson to indicate that his side's Carabao Cup first round match at Middlesbrough on Friday, August 7 could serve as a final warm-up before the Championship opener at Cardiff City on Monday, 17 August.

"We must accept that the game at Boro will likely be our last pre-season friendly," he said after the 1-0 win over Manchester United.

"Travel means we will not be fully ready, but we will aim for the result as usual."

He continued: "I would never trade the experiences gained, as they define the club.

"Yet balance matters too. While every manager would prefer less travel to America, the quality of matches and training facilities must be weighed, so we view it all positively."

The clear benefit is that touring has driven major growth for Wrexham under Mac and Reynolds as majority owners.

They secured extra backing from the Allyn family and Apollo Sports Capital to boost global reach.

Wrexham recorded a club-best revenue of £33.3m in 2024-25 as a League One side.

The UK made up 40.5% of latest turnover, while the rest of the world, mainly North America, provided 57.7%, helped by the Welcome to Wrexham series, renewed for three more seasons.

This confirms what the club already understood: the American market is both large and key.

Revenue is forecast to rise to between £46m and £50m for the year ending June 2026.

Closer to home, Wrexham will name former Newcastle United executive Steve Nickson to a new sporting director post later this year, underlining their push forward.

The historic Racecourse Ground continues its upgrades, with the 7,500-seat Kop Stand set for completion next year.

Thus Wrexham stand as serious contenders on the world stage.

Most importantly, their already high profile keeps climbing.