Welsh Dragons enjoy red carpet welcome
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Welsh Dragons enjoy red carpet welcome

For many clubs and their players pre-season tours can be bit of a chore, but you won't hear anyone from the Welsh club Wrexham complaining.

Thanks to their film star owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds the Red Dragons received a red carpet welcome earlier this week in Beverly Hills before kicking off their three-game pre-season tour in California and Canada.

For a League One (third tier) team to enjoy such high-profile treatment is unheard of.

Thanks partly to creative PR, which includes videos of the club winning two successive promotions, the American public seems to have happily adopted this obscure team from North Wales which has struggled for decades.

This was reflected by the enthusiastic sell-out crowd of 13,500 at the Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara where Wrexham and Premier League side Bournemouth fought out an entertaining 1-1 draw.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson who has been at the helm since July 2021 was overwhelmed by the reception his players received from the American supporters.

"It was great, a really good atmosphere," said the experienced gaffer. "It is unique for a team in League One to have this kind of exposure in America. The crowd was really involved."

It got even better on Wednesday in Santa Clara when Wrexham enjoyed a2-2 draw with illustrious opponents Chelsea in another entertaining game. It also marked Chelsea's first match under new manager Enzo Maresca.

In fact the result, though a confidence booster, didn't really matter that much. The fact that this third-tier team were playing against Premier League opponents in California was a reward in itself.

Their third and final match is in Canada today against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

When Wrexham were relegated from League Two in 2008, they dropped out of the Football League for the first time in 87 years. By 2011 the club was in a desperate financial situation and the Wrexham Supporters Trust took charge.

The Trust gave its approval for the Hollywood takeover and reaction from supporters was immediately positive and has remained that way with the team's success.

Club director Spencer Harris enthused about the takeover: "They could easily have bought a club several rungs higher, but I think they are interested in the journey. It's very encouraging."

Wrexham have spent most of their time in the bottom two divisions of the Football League. Their best period came in 1978 when they won the old Third Division and went on to play four seasons in Division Two.

There are three other Welsh clubs that play in the main English league two of which have Premier League experience. Cardiff City were in the top flight as recently as 2019 while Swansea City enjoyed six seasons in the Premier League from 2011-2018. Both are now in the Championship.

There is also Newport County, which has spent the last 11 seasons stuck in League Two. Another Welsh side, Merthyr Town, play in England's Southern League.

The true test for Wrexham will begin on Aug 10 when they host Wycombe Wanderers at the Racehorse Ground for the Welsh club's first game in the third tier in 19 years. It should be quite an occasion.

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