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Wrexham AFC will face Premier League side AFC Bournemouth in an all-British showdown on July 20 at Harder Stadium at UC Santa Barbara campus. The Red Dragons and The Cherries will face off against one another for the first time since April of 2005, when both teams were in EFL League One. Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, California will play host to this exciting matchup. The 17,000-seater venue is the home of the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos soccer teams.
This match is the first of Wrexham AFC’s three North American matches this summer as part of their 2024 Wrex Coast Tour. This will be followed by the match with Chelsea FC on July 24 at Levi’s Stadium, in Santa Clara, and by a clash in Vancouver against Whitecaps FC following on July 27, at BC Place.
Tickets will be on sale through AXS. An exclusive Presale for Santa Barbara community groups opens Thursday April 25, at 8:00am PT followed by Team Presales starting at 10:00am PT. General Public Tickets go on sale at 12:00pm PT, and will be available here.
Wrexham AFC have shot to prominence globally since actor and entrepreneurs Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds purchased the club in 2020. The club has been featured in the immensely popular Emmy award-winning Welcome to Wrexham docu-series on FX. Founded in 1864, Wrexham is the oldest professional soccer club in Wales, and the third oldest in the world. With their proud Welsh support at their back, Wrexham have recently risen back up through the divisions and have just confirmed a second-successive promotion, which elevates them back to League One (the third tier of English football) next season. The club has a hugely supportive American fanbase and is excited to return to North America for the second successive preseason.
“This is a hugely exciting announcement for our club, as we add another Premier League club to our Wrex Coast Tour in North America,” said Wrexham Executive Director Humphrey Ker. “Andoni Iraola has quickly established AFC Bournemouth as one of the most exciting young teams in the Premier League, and we can’t wait to test ourselves against them. Our support in California is fantastic and we’re excited to be heading to beautiful Santa Barbara, and looking forward to seeing many of our fans at this game.”
AFC Bournemouth have become a mainstay in the Premier League over the last decade, since their first ever promotion to England’s top tier in 2015. Following their takeover by Bill Foley in December 2022, and under the stewardship of their exciting first-year Spanish head coach Andoni Iraola, the Cherries have earned plaudits from pundits across the globe for their entertaining and attacking style of football, and seen on-pitch successes such as a 3-0 win at Old Trafford over Manchester United last December. Young superstars like Dominic Solanke, Justin Kluivert and US Men’s National Team captain Tyler Adams will take the stage in Santa Barbara, as the Cherries ramp up their preparations for the 2024/25 Premier League season with their Bourne in the USA tour.
“We are delighted to announce this game as we confirm our summer tour plans,” said AFC Bournemouth Chief Executive Neill Blake. “We’re extremely excited to be bringing our team to America, and look forward to this being our opening match. It will provide a good first test for us as we look to continue building on our successes in the Premier League. We can’t wait to see our stateside Cherries fans, and we look forward to introducing ourselves to many more while in California.”
Event promoters TEG Sport (TEG) are very proud to bring Wrexham AFC and AFC Bournemouth to the U.S., working alongside Harder Stadium and UC Santa Barbara.
“To be part of the Wrex Coast Tour, and host Wrexham AFC and AFC Bournemouth here in Santa Barbara is hugely exciting!” said Kelly Barsky, UC Santa Barbara Director of Athletics. “The partnership is a special one as part of our mission in athletics is to serve and connect a deeply engaged community. To bring high caliber soccer to Harder Stadium, long referred to as Soccer Heaven, on our UC Santa Barbara campus with teams that share a focus on serving the community is truly exceptional.”
“This announcement of the second game of the Wrex Coast Tour is a fantastic matchup that will see Wrexham AFC test themselves against one of the most interesting and up-and-coming teams in the Premier League,” said Geoff Jones, CEO of TEG. “We know the demand for elite competition between European soccer clubs is high in the States, and are delighted to be able to bring AFC Bournemouth into the fold as a partner. This clash is sure to be an entertaining match, and we look forward to seeing lots of fans at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara.”
Match Details:
Wrexham AFC vs. AFC Bournemouth
Harder Stadium, Santa Barbara, CA
July 20, 2024