PHIL PARKINSON says it is "amazing" that Wrexham will be backed by 3,000 supporters who are making the long trek to former club Charlton Athletic.

The back-to-back promotion winners have made a brilliant start to the League One campaign and sit second in the table with 24 points from 12 games.

Next up for the Reds is a first meeting with the Addicks since the 1981-82 season and fans will make the 430 mile round-trip in big numbers, earning praise from Parkinson who was manager at The Valley from November 2008 to January 2011.

"We're going down to Charlton, 20,000 tickets have been sold already and we've nearly sold 3,000," said the Reds' boss. 

"That is incredible testament to the passion for the club in the area.

"When someone told me how many tickets we've sold for that game all the way down in London, I thought 'that's amazing' and we are really looking forward to seeing our supporters down there.

"It is a fantastic stadium. When you get 20,000 plus in there, it is a really good atmosphere and the lads are going to really enjoy that.

"Obviously Elliot Lee, Eoghan O'Connell and George Dobson played there so they know all about it.

"Charlton's a great club, a Premier League club for a lot of years. Alan Curbishley did so well.

"They lost their way in terms of ownership and financial problems which happens a lot when teams fall out of the Premier League because they carry players on big contracts and it is very difficult if you don't bounce straight back up.

"But there's a lot of good people behind the scenes and I am looking forward to going back down there with our travelling army of fans."

Wrexham were cheered on by nearly 2,400 supporters in Saturday's 1-0 win at Rotherham United before drawing 0-0 at home to Huddersfield Town on Tuesday, 160 years to the day since the club's first-ever fixture.

Speaking about the anniversary and supporters' devotion for the club, Parkinson said: "The club means so much to the area and you can feel it all the time. I have loved it here.

"Just look at the support we had at Rotherham, it was outstanding.

"A lot of people I know from that way said it was the best away support they've seen at that ground, and that ground's been built a few years.

"We are enjoying the journey, it was a shame we couldn't mark the 160th anniversary with a win but I think the supporters saw a performance of real honesty."