Wrexham will play in co-owner Ryan Reynolds’ home city of Vancouver on their pre-season tour of the USA and Canada.
Phil Parkinson’s newly-promoted side head to the 54,500-capacity BC Place on Saturday July 27 to face the Whitecaps in the final outing of a three-game tour that also includes clashes with two Premier League teams.
First up on July 20 at Santa Barbara’s Harder Stadium will be a meeting with Bournemouth, followed four days later by taking on Chelsea in Levi’s Stadium, the home of San Francisco 49ers.
This will be the second consecutive summer that Wrexham have headed across the Atlantic after last July facing Chelsea and Manchester United during a four-game tour that took in North Carolina, Los Angeles, San Diego and co-owner Rob McElhenney’s home city of Philadelphia.
“Last year’s U.S. Tour was a fantastic experience and a memorable trip for all the players and staff,” says manager Phil Parkinson.
“After another successful campaign, we’re delighted to be heading to the west coast again this summer, and we’re also looking forward to venturing up to Vancouver and spreading the club’s footprint into Canada.
“It will be a great chance to meet new supporters, while also building for the 2024/25 League One season.”
GO DEEPER
How Wrexham, Reynolds and McElhenney celebrated back-to-back promotions
Wrexham’s reduced itinerary and travelling time follows a debrief into last summer’s trip, when the squad zig-zagged from east to west and back again before heading home just one week before the new season got under way.
Now, the players will be back home a little under a fortnight before the big EFL kick-off on August 10, with the plan being to stage one final pre-season friendly on UK soil.
Along with the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, club officials see the trips across the Atlantic as a key part of building an international audience.
Last year’s two-week long trip saw a small profit made from ticket sales and merchandise as crowds flocked to watch the newly-promoted National League champions.
But, the real benefits are expected to come down the line, via tapping into that lucrative U.S. and Canadian market.
Wrexham also proved good for local businesses last year, with one local tourist official forecasting a £15.3 million ($20 million) boost to the local economy in North Carolina around the Chelsea match, which was watched by an attendance of 50,596.
Tickets can be bought on WrexCoastTour.com
GO DEEPER
Wrexham, Chelsea and the $20m match
(Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images)
