Wrexham in Hollywood: ‘We’re shaping up to be America’s football club’

In Tinseltown, where the Oscars crowd were once famously told “the British are coming” after Chariots of Fire had scooped a prize in the early 1980s, Wrexham’s own invasion of the United States continued at a pace.

On the field, Phil Parkinson’s side claimed their first victory of this summer’s U.S. tour, LA Galaxy’s second string proving no match in front of a noisy crowd as the Welsh visitors ran out convincing 4-0 winners. Off it, the League Two club once again proved to be a big hit — with fans flying in from all over the country to support a team most had only previously seen on a TV or computer screen.

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Ticket prices that, in the main, hovered north of the $100 mark couldn’t put off a growing army whose devotion to all things Wrexham has taken even Wayne Jones, landlord of The Turf pub and breakout star from series one of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, by surprise.

“The response so far on the tour has been bonkers,” Jones tells The Athletic. “Everywhere we go, there seems to be a Wrexham fan. That’s how it feels. Once they find out where we’re from, that’s it — they all want to talk about Paul Mullin or the show or what The Turf is like.

“Who could have predicted all this? I’d had a taste through the pub, obviously, with all the tourists coming in during the past year — It’s been great to play a part in welcoming them — but even I’ve been surprised by the support that exists out here. I’m here with my cousin (Jack) and we must have spoken to the best part of 200 people during our first day in LA. All of them had flown in just for the game, coming from all parts of America.”

Jones is among a small band of supporters who have flown out to the States from north Wales and are taking in all four friendlies,