If you’ve been anywhere near sports, media, or Disney lately, chances are you’ve heard of Wrexham AFC, a historic football club in North Wales that, at the time of writing, has earned back-to-back-to-back promotions in the English football pyramid. Since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased the club in early 2021, Wrexham’s profile has risen as rapidly as the team has climbed up the leagues, and in the hearts of football fans around the world.
Like many newer fans, my introduction to European football was through TV, specifically, Ted Lasso. But Wrexham AFC, thanks to Welcome to Wrexham, was the spark that turned curiosity into passion. I’ve been following the club closely since 2022, waking up for early Saturday kickoffs and tuning in on Tuesday afternoons from a time zone away. So when my wife, Allison, and I began planning our next international trip in the fall of 2024, I knew that if we were going to the UK, we had to get to Wales. I had to see Wrexham play in person.
The Match: Wrexham vs. Stockport County
We decided on March 22: Wrexham vs. Stockport County. If you’ve seen the show, you’ll recognize Stockport as a familiar rival, a club that’s often been just one step ahead in promotion battles. It felt like the perfect match to see live. Once flights were booked and B&Bs sorted, we started eyeing tickets.
That’s when I learned about the international break. As a new fan, I had no idea that matches could be postponed if three or more players were called up for national duty. Most League One clubs don’t usually meet that threshold, but after some deep dives into Reddit threads, I felt confident the match would go ahead. (Spoiler: Wrexham is now in the Championship, and the break is handled differently at that level.)
The Wrexham Ticket Scramble
Getting tickets? Not easy. At the time, demand was intense and the temporary Kop stand, set up during construction of the new stand, was our best bet. So, my wife and I each purchased Wrexham memberships to gain early access. About a month before the match, we received an email announcing the on-sale date. It would be 4:00 AM CST for us, but I was up early, laptop ready, and managed to grab two tickets in the Tech End (STōK Cold Brew Coffee Stand).
Within minutes, the match was sold out. We were ecstatic, groggy, but thrilled.
Matchday in Wrexham
We’d already spent a few days in England and stayed the night before in Chester, about 40 minutes from Wrexham. After some football banter over breakfast with our hosts, they wished us luck on our first-ever EFL game.
Before heading into town, we stopped at Erddig Hall and Gardens, a beautiful 17th-century country estate just south of Wrexham. It was a calm, countryside contrast to what we knew would be a buzzing afternoon.
Parking tip (if you’re planning the same): We left the car at the Ramada Plaza Wrexham for £5 cash. After lots of research, we’d tried booking the Berse Road Retail Park car park, but it had already sold out three weeks prior. The Plaza was a short and easy walk to the Racecourse.
Seeing the Racecourse for the First Time
Turning onto Mold Road and seeing the Racecourse for the first time, maybe it sounds silly, but it was like catching your first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum. This wasn’t just a stadium; it was the stadium. A stream of red jerseys filled the streets, chants floated on the air, and there was a magic to it all.
Even Allison, who doesn’t normally care about sports, was completely caught up in it. I’d made her binge the show in the months leading up to the trip, and now it felt like we’d walked straight onto the set. It’s surreal to be somewhere you’ve only seen on screen, until it becomes real. And it was real: Kerry Evans was helping out in her role as Disability Liaison Officer, camera crews were filming scenes, Wayne Jones was outside The Turf, and we even saw Rosie Hughes walking around the ground.
The Turf & Team Shop
We stopped at The Turf, and again, surreal. There’s the Buddy Van. There’s the Phil Parkinson mural. Inside? Packed wall-to-wall. We wove our way through the crowd, checking out murals, framed photos, and what I can only describe as Wrexham shrines. We spotted Welcome to Wrexham regulars Jacqui Valentine and Julie Birrell. Again, just surreal.
From there, we made our way to the club shop where I picked up the scarf of the month and a matchday program, both of which now sit proudly in my office.
Inside the Ground
We entered the turnstiles about 30 minutes before kickoff, sitting just a few rows up from the pitch, near the away supporters. For the next half hour, chants and jeers volleyed back and forth between the two sides. It was so different from any American sporting event I’ve ever been to, raw, loud, and full of meaning. You could feel the tension and importance in the air.
As the teams lined up, photographer Ollie Stephen (from season 3!) took his position just in front of us. Wrexham went on to win 1–0 thanks to a Jay Rodriguez penalty rebound. The place erupted. There was banter, there was singing, and of course, there was James McClean stirring it up as always.
At halftime, I met Tomi Lewis, host of Men in Blazers’ This Week in Wrexham. He couldn’t have been friendlier. That’s what struck me most: everyone, from the fans next to us to the people at The Turf, was welcoming, curious, and genuinely happy to see visitors falling in love with their club.
Reflecting on It All
As we drove from Wrexham to Caernarfon later that evening, Allison and I talked about how little we have back home that feels quite like this. Maybe college football comes close, regional pride, generational fandom, but the stakes of promotion, relegation, and a club’s impact on a town’s future? That’s unique.
This day confirmed everything I’d hoped. I already loved football. I already loved Wrexham. But now I know, I’ll be back. We spent three more days exploring North Wales, and I’m convinced it’s one of the most special places in the world. If you’re an international Wrexham fan and you have the chance: go. You won’t regret it.