Wrexham representative Shaun Harvey heard the whispers.
“You walk around and people say, ‘He’s from Wrexham!’” he said.
Harvey was making his first-ever visit to the state of North Carolina, showcasing the “Red Dragons” at a press event earlier this year officially announcing an FC Series game between Wrexham and Chelsea at UNC’s Kenan Stadium. And despite Harvey’s lack of familiarity with the Old North State, the emblem on his team shirt made him a minor celebrity.
It’s easy to see why a club from a small town in Wales which plays in the fourth tier of the English soccer pyramid would be well-known across the pond. Wrexham’s popularity has boomed since American actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the club and produced the TV series “Welcome to Wrexham.”
That increased exposure has helped Wrexham become a participant in the FC Series, which is touring around America this summer. And when it came to potential host sites, the active soccer fanbase throughout the Triangle made Chapel Hill a desirable destination.
“It’s the interest overall that really appeals to us,” Harvey said. It’s an area obviously that has this massive soccer interest. And that’s why when we had the opportunity to come play over in the U.S., when this opportunity came up we wanted to make sure this was the first game we played.”
For Chelsea, Wrexham’s opponent in the game, generating buzz is never a problem. One of the most popular clubs in the most popular league in the world, “The Blues” are known for never having been relegated from the English Premier League. Chelsea have made it a tradition to make an American tour every summer, and the club played in Charlotte last year. It’s no Stamford Bridge, but North Carolina has become something of a second home for Chelsea.
“Just the warmth of the people. They really take upon soccer, they embrace it,” said club representative David Barnard. “We go to some places where it may be an NFL city, but when we came to North Carolina, they embraced us as a soccer team. The enthusiasm of the crowd and the people watching, that’s why we like coming here.”
Perhaps no one is more enthusiastic about the game than UNC women’s soccer head coach Anson Dorrance. Dorrance won his first career national championship in Kenan Stadium in 1981, and 42 years later, he said he couldn’t be happier to see high-level soccer return to the historic venue.
“I love it, and I love the fact that I’m still alive to see all this,” Dorrance said. “For me, everything continues to get better at the University of North Carolina in every respect.”
Dorrance has long been connected with the game in Britain, annually recruiting the best junior players from the country. The laundry list of UNC stars from this trans-Atlantic pipeline includes Alessia Russo, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Lucy Bronze. Dorrance acknowledged this international partnership has a part in drawing the game into Kenan Stadium, but said he wouldn’t take full credit.
“We’re very proud of the role we’ve played, but this isn’t done in a vacuum,” said Dorrance. “This is done with the leadership here at the University of North Carolina, from the chancellor, through the athletic director, through Mack Brown now that we’re playing here. These are why these things happen.”
Speaking of Mack Brown, the head football coach still had to sign off on an international event being staged in his house. And even though the game will require a major operation to temporarily change the playing surface, Brown said its benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.
“Any time you can bring this many people into your community and have them shopping and buying stuff and selling the University of North Carolina to them, I just thought it was a no-brainer,” Brown said. “It was a win-win-win from all angles.”
So if you’re keen to take a stroll down Franklin Street in the days around July 19, don’t be surprised if you run into a Londoner, a Welshman or an American from across the country staying in the area to watch their favorite team. The once-in-a-lifetime event will create a once-in-a-lifetime environment – and it appears Chapel Hill is more than up to the task to host it.
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