"The average American didn't even know what Wales was, never mind Wrexham." That's Paul Jones, chairman of the Wrexham Supporters Federation, and he's not wrong — but the story has moved well past Hollywood novelty now.
Wrexham have 25 official supporters' groups registered with the WSF, including the Bavarian Red Dragons in Germany and the Ukrainian Dragons. Outside it, there are fan clubs in Iceland, Thailand, Australia and beyond. The Norwegian Reds alone have 440 members — the largest official group anywhere.
The underdog story travels
Steinar Pedersen founded the Norwegian Reds after a tip-off from a friend's son working as a sports scientist at the club. He watched Wrexham lose their play-off semi-final in extra time in 2022, still in non-league, and decided that was enough — he was in. "It's the underdog story," he says. "You want the small teams to succeed."
But he also points to something less obvious: cultural kinship. "We can relate to the Welsh people. When we are there, it's almost like meeting another Norwegian. Norway is a small country with lots of hard-working people — we see ourselves the same." That kind of connection doesn't come from a documentary. It comes from showing up.
In Dubai, the fan group formed the old-fashioned way — expat north Walians bumping into each other in a bar, waiting for non-league results to trickle through. Co-chairman Dylan Owen has followed Wrexham since the early 1980s. He didn't need Reynolds or McElhenney to explain why the club matters. He already knew.
The numbers behind the romance
This isn't just a feel-good story. It's a functioning commercial model. Wrexham posted a record £33.3m turnover in their latest accounts. Of that, 57.7% came from outside Europe. Since the start of the 2024-25 season, roughly half of all retail income has originated outside the UK.
Tourism in Wrexham generated £191m for the local economy in 2024 — up 6.3% year-on-year — with visitor numbers topping two million. Every single Wrexham match last season was broadcast in the USA on CBS and Paramount+. All 44 Championship fixtures this campaign have followed suit.
That broadcast footprint matters for anyone tracking Wrexham's trajectory. A club with that level of international commercial exposure doesn't simply deflate if they miss the play-offs or, eventually, drop a division. The infrastructure is bigger than the league position now.
- Norwegian Reds: 440 members — largest official supporters' group
- 25 supporters' groups within the Wrexham Supporters Federation
- Record £33.3m club turnover, majority from outside Europe
- Wrexham tourism generated £191m for the local economy in 2024
- Every Championship match this season broadcast in the USA
Matthias Matthiasson, founder of the Wrexham Icelandic Supporters Club, puts it simply: "The people make the club." It's the kind of line that sounds like a cliché until you realise the club's revenue split backs it up entirely.
Jones, a Wrexham fan for six decades, says he welcomes every new supporter regardless of where they come from. "We're on an incredible journey," he says, "and I think it's going to carry on beyond my years." At £33.3m turnover and growing, there's not much reason to argue with him.
