Wrexham's Australia and NZ tour diary: 'They didn't know us 20 years ago, but they certainly do now.'

Wrexham are touring Australia and New Zealand for the precise archetypal time. While the Championship awaits the Welsh broadside successful 2025-26, they volition archetypal person to play 3 A-League clubs crossed 3 cities connected their preseason tour.

ESPN volition beryllium with them each measurement of the mode arsenic Phil Parkinson, Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney & Co. crippled their way to the Premier League.

A precise antithetic Aussie acquisition for Wayne Jones and Wrexham

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Plenty has changed for Wayne Jones, 1 of the breakout stars of the "Welcome To Wrexham" documentary series, and his beloved Wrexham since the past clip helium was successful Australia backmost successful 2005.

Two decades ago, Jones was wrapping up a two-year agelong backpacking travel crossed the country, an odyssey that had stretched crossed each sections of the state and, successful the good contented of Brits heading Down Under for a moving holiday, seen him prime bananas successful Tully and grapes successful Mildura, execute mill enactment successful Perth, and bash immoderate different kinds of jobs helium would spot advertised successful the hostels successful which helium laid his head.

Wrexham, meanwhile, had conscionable acceptable the unwelcome precedent of becoming the archetypal Football League nine to endure a 10-point deduction for going into administration, mounting them connected a way to beryllium relegated to League Two and, a fewer years later, the National League.

As explored successful the sixth occurrence of Welcome to Wrexham, if not for protests from fans against the then-ownership of Alex Hamilton, the nine whitethorn person died. Flash forward, and the Red Dragons are present owned by Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds and are acceptable to vie successful the English second-tier for the archetypal clip since 1982 aft becoming the first-ever nine successful the past of the English pyramid to unafraid three-straight promotions.

Landlord of the now-famous Turf pub, Jones has go known astir the satellite acknowledgment to the documentary bid cataloguing this emergence and, aft being portion of erstwhile preseason tours of North America, has returned to Australia alongside the Red Dragons arsenic portion of their preseason tour.

"To beryllium backmost here, 2 decades to the year, present a Championship nine with precise bully owners who privation thing but the champion for the nine and a unit that enactment tremendously good for the nine -- it's a immense opposition to wherever we were 2 decades ago," Jones told ESPN. "It's virtually 1 extremity of the standard to the other. So I'm overmuch much bask this clip around.

"I deliberation I've been successful denial for the past mates of years, wherever I've been saying my beingness hasn't changed. But, of course, it's changed. I'm sitting successful Australia, talking to you guys. I'm walking down the thoroughfare and radical admit the shirt. So clearly, it's changed."

Indeed, it's singular what an award-winning documentary tin bash for a town's reputation. Because, arsenic Jones recalls, the past clip helium was successful Australia "very fewer radical knew astir Wrexham afloat stop, fto unsocial the shot team."

"I spoke to anybody present 20 years ago, I was saying 'I unrecorded successful Wales, which is adjacent to England'," helium recalled. "Nothing against anybody locally oregon anybody I met with travels; the municipality didn't person overmuch to outcry about.

"Now we get stopped everywhere. Everybody recognizes the badge. The feline successful the airdrome connected the mode retired was similar 'We get thousands of these shirts coming done each week.'

"They didn't cognize america 20 years ago, but they surely bash now."

Sights and sounds

Wrexham unveiled their kits for the 2025-26 run overnight, taking inspiration from their portion the past clip they were successful the English second-tier.

And Jones is simply a fan; "I get benignant of Joey Jones vibes astir it. Because that's iconic connected Joey."

Quote of the day

"Don't deliberation I've watched the latest season, but I watched the archetypal couple. I've followed Ben Foster passim my career, met him arsenic a 13-year-old, truthful erstwhile helium joined the club, I watched what helium got up to and person been a casual follower ever since." -- Melbourne Victory goalkeeper Jack Duncan connected playing Wrexham.

What's connected time for Wrexham?

It's matchday for the archetypal clip Down Under arsenic Wrexham look A-League Men outfit Melbourne Victory astatine Marvel Stadium.

Four-time champions of Australia, the Victory person qualified for back-to-back expansive finals, losing to Central Coast successful 2024 and Melbourne City successful 2025, but with the Australian top-flight not starting for astatine slightest different 3 months, they person lone been backmost successful preseason for a week.

Furthermore, respective cardinal figures, including Socceroos Kasey Bos, Daniel Arzani, and Ryan Teague, person moved to European clubs during the offseason, portion different cardinal contributors specified arsenic Nishan Velupillay, Reno Piscopo, Franco Lino, and Lachlan Jackson person each been ruled retired by manager Arthur Diles.