Subaru Park looked a tad different on Sunday morning. The navy blue, gold, and signal blue jerseys that would typically decorate the Union’s stadium were replaced by pools of red and white jerseys as it became a temporary home to Wrexham A.F.C.
Read more Another flood watch is in effect for the Philly region until late Monday night
The football club based in Wrexham, Wales, finished its three-game United States tour in Chester, with a preseason friendly against Sunderland.
Here’s everything you missed from the Wrexham takeover:
The gang takes on Pongadelphia
With one large pong cup remaining, the Always Sunny star Rob Mac, a Philly native and co-owner of Wrexham alongside Ryan Reynolds, grabbed a soccer ball, lined up his shot, let it go — and missed.
“Right on line,” Mac said. “ I mean that was right on line.”
Rob Mac ahead of Sunday’s Wrexham vs Sunderland game at Subaru Park pic.twitter.com/PjYVicD20r
— Ariel (@ArielSimpson16) August 2, 2026
Ahead of the game, Mac joined former Wrexham players Ben Tozer and Ben Foster on Team Wrexham Lager for Pongadelphia, a large beer pong game that was a nod to the Always Sunny Flipadelphia, competing against Team Garage Beer, which featured Eagles kicker Jake Elliott, Jim Cramer, and Fit Dad CEO.
Surrounded by dozens of Wrexham fans, Team Wrexham Lager took the lead early and never looked back — the same couldn’t be said about Wrexham A.F.C., who suffered a 1-0 loss to Sunderland.
But no matter the result, Sunday’s game was a full-circle moment for Mac, who took over the team in 2021. Before the game started, a prerecorded message was displayed on the jumbotron to all the fans in attendance.
“I got into football … it was when I first heard the opening song from the Sunderland ‘Til I Die docuseries,” Mac said. “When I heard it, I immediately thought of my grandfather who worked over at the shipyards, just over there.
“And just like the shipyard workers and Sunderland, were the coalminers of Wrexham, were the construction workers who built Liberty Place and the Ben Franklin Bridge. What I love so much about this game is that you can be Sunderland, Wrexham, or Philly, or any working-class town in the entire world and still discover that same connection to each other through a game that mirrors our biggest ups and downs.”
A passionate fanbase that travels
Passionate. Caring. Friendly. Amazing. Family.
These were the words used to describe Wrexham’s fanbase. And all of that was on display Sunday. Wrexham fans traveled from New York, Pittsburgh — and even as far as Okinawa, Japan — to watch the team in action.
Tessa Michael, 46, joined the team on their three-game tour, flying from Japan to Tampa to New York to Pennsylvania to watch the team.
“Like most American fans I got into it from watching Welcome to Wrexham,” Michael said. “Now, I’ve been out on every summer tour. I’ve been out to Wrexham. This is my second one now where I’ve done all three games.”
After watching Welcome to Wrexham, a documentary following the club, which was released in 2022, she instantly fell in love with the fanbase.
Read more Photos from the Wrexham Sunderland friendly
“Honestly it’s the people,” Michael said. “It’s the people of the town. They have great stories. They’re just like any town in America. You go to any sports town in Pennsylvania, in Florida, in Virginia or even out West, anywhere, they have the same struggles. They’ve dealt with the same things. They’re very relatable and the town is what keeps you a Wrexham fan.”
Michael has tried to bring the Wrexham fandom with her to Japan, her home for the last two years, but she’s found it to be more difficult with games airing between 11 p.m. and midnight — something she doesn’t seem to have an issue with.
“I’m staying up and watching them,” Michael said.
Wrexham to Philly crossover
The Welcome to Wrexham documentary led to many new eyes on the team — making them one of the most popular teams in the English Football League, famously owned by both Mac and Reynolds.
“It definitely helped this team,” said 31-year-old Chester native Evan Voicheck. “When you have two people that have an insane amount of money that are willing to put it into something they care about, then it helps.”
Voicheck, who wore a Wrexham scarf, two red-and-white chains, and the Wrexham mascot around his neck, also became a fan through the Welcome to Wrexham documentary.
The fanbase is so passionate, it reminds him of Philly sports fans.
“Just like us in Philly,” Voicheck said. “Wrexham, from what I’ve seen, it’s just Philly but across the world. It’s like a family. Everybody here knows each other. And if they don’t, then they will at the end of the day.”
Although Voicheck made the comparison to Philly sports fans, Buffalo native John Kania, 49, compared them to the Bills.
“Being from Buffalo, we’re very similar to what Wrexham is,” Kania said. “It’s a small — used to be a much bigger city, and just kind of went down in the drain. We have the Bills, like Wrexham has their football team. There’s a natural connection there.”
However, there is one glaring difference between Wrexham fans and American football fans.
“Everyone here is so friendly and nice,” said Chad Bemiller, of Derry, Pa. “It’s almost like a college football atmosphere here. Everyone is happy here and I don’t think we have that here with the NFL.”
Wrexham will start the season against Cardiff City on Aug. 17, as they prepare to make another push for the Premier League. And 14-year-old Logan Bemiller, who went to a Wrexham soccer camp in Long Island last year, has high hopes.
“I think we can get a promotion,” Logan said.