I’m the definition of a traditional football fan: I support the club of the town I was born in and attend games in person.

However, I’m no longer in the majority, and Wrexham’s glorious success and future progress depend on accepting the changing landscape of the game.

So far we’ve done that brilliantly: we are suddenly at the cutting edge of a new way of consuming football, and we’re seeking out new supporters in unorthodox, inventive ways.

We saw this last weekend, when “Wrexham Red Dragons” represented us in a contest in North Carolina.

The $1 million winners takes all seven-a-side Soccer Tournament is the sort of competition that draws ridicule from British fans.

I admit, it does sound a bit like the All-Priests Five-a-Side Over-75s Indoor Challenge Football Match. Any football fan should know that it was initially won by Craggy Island, but victory was awarded to Rugged Island when it became clear that Father Ted had been controlling his star player’s wheelchair by remote control, and concealed his skulduggery by using a pair of rubber arms.

However, it’s time to shake this prejudice off.

Traditional fans need to accept that there are many new ways to enjoy the game and support your team. From e-sports to getting up at 3 a.m. to listen to match commentary from a different continent, there’s now a much wider range of options than merely turning up on Saturday afternoon.

The fact is that sport is not consumed in the way it once was. New formats, new audiences are constantly opening up across the board, and if you don’t catch the wave you’ll be washed away.

I had the same sceptical response to these new developments as most football fans, but I’ve grown to see that it’s me who has to move with the times.

Take Soccer Aid, for example. Obviously a massive charity game, in front of a huge crowd, which raised a bucket load of money for charity, is a good thing. However, my natural instinct has always been to adopt a sniffy attitude towards it, snorting derisively when commentators talk like it’s real football and not a fun knock-about.

Million tune in though, so actually it does matter.

The reality, in this case, is less important than the perception, which leads us neatly back to the value of The Soccer Tournament to Wrexham.

Our side was a mixture of club legends, youngsters and ringers. That didn’t matter. They were representing Wrexham, and spreading the name of the club. Crucially, they were also building on the terrific impact the owners and “Welcome to Wrexham” have made to our reputation and profile.

It was revealing that, on the TST’s website, our name was featured more prominently than those of West Ham, Borussia Dortmund and Wolves, who were also competing. Ryan and Rob’s takeover and intelligent use of social media has meant that we have a higher profile than those historic, significant clubs in the market which we are aiming to expand into.

There’s such a buzz around us that our participation in the tournament created a great deal of excitement. Our remarkable victory over Cesc Fabregas’ Como only added to our allure.

It doesn’t matter that we’ve just gained promotion to the fourth tier of English football; we are considered to be a big club, and that can be turning into cash for Phil Parkinson’s budget.

After losing in the round of 16, it was fascinating to hear the joint founder of our opponents, Jimmy Conrad, enthuse about how massive it was for his players to beat a team like Wrexham.

Let’s put that into context: Conrad  captained the USA, played in the 2006 World Cup and was named in the MLS Best XI four times. Yet he spoke of us as if we’re part of the world elite.

Maybe it was just good salesmanship, but who cares? The extensive positive coverage we’re getting in the States is making us a powerful brand. In a vast continent of sport fans, many of whom enjoy football, but are looking for that perfect European club to follow, we are perceived as a major club.

Are we better than Brighton? No. Are we better placed than them to raise significant capital from the North American market? Hell, yeah!

Another example of this was an appraisal the commentator made when a player was subbed on against us. What a wonderful opportunity, he posited, to play against world class players.

Now I love those Wrexham legends, but “World Class” is a bit of a stretch.

Yet again, the perception was more important than the truth. The audience were being told what a remarkable honour it is to be on the same pitch as Wrexham, even when your team mates include Conrad, Damarcus Beasley (who played in four World Cups, won 126 caps for the USA, won 4 continental championships and played for PSV, Manchester City and Rangers) and Dwayne De Rosario (Canada’s all-time top scorer).

Perception is everything, and we’re starting to be perceived as a big deal across the Atlantic. That can only help us to become a big deal over here!