‘Star’ owners get Wrexham home expansion nod

Article posted by Coliseum, November 18^th, 2022

Image: AFL Architects (LinkedIn)

The Welsh professional association football club Wrexham A.F.C. looks set to soon expand on its home stadium with new approval for expansion. The Welsh club had a new proposal approved during a meeting with the Wrexham County Borough Council recently. The plan is to add a 5,500-seat stand to the historic The Racecourse Ground in Wrexham, Wales, UK.

‘WORLD SOCCER TALK’ stated that first, Wrexham must tear down the existing Kop (the all-standing home stand) to make room for the new stand. The old stand has reportedly been in subpar condition for over a decade.

The Wrexham Association Football Club is a Welsh professional association football club based in Wrexham, Wales, UK. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.

The 10,771-capacity The Racecourse Ground is a football stadium in Wrexham, Wales. It is the home of Wrexham A.F.C. It is the world’s oldest international football stadium that still hosts international matches, having hosted Wales’ first home international match in 1877, and has hosted more Wales international matches than any other ground. The record attendance at the ground was set in 1957, when Wrexham hosted a match against the Premier League club Manchester United F.C. in front of 34,445 spectators.

Owners and Co-Chairman Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney issued a statement on the above development, “With planning committee approval now secured, we can move forward with the Kop Development, starting with the demolition of the existing structure. The derelict state of the Kop has long been an eyesore and we hope that by the start of the 2024-2025 seasons, it will be brought back into use, with another 5,500 fans able to watch games live, as well as providing a superb backdrop for those watching on TV. We would like to thank the Planning Committee for the positive decision they have made and all those who have been involved with our application.”

Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian-American actor. He is one of the highest-grossing film actors of all time, with a worldwide box-office gross of over $5 billion.

Robert McElhenney III is an American actor, producer, writer, and co-owner of Wrexham A.F.C.

Wrexham Home Facelift

The Racecourse Ground is a historic stadium in the United Kingdom. Initially built in 1807, and opened for soccer games in 1864, the stadium has been Wrexham’s only permanent home. In fact, it is the oldest stadium that still currently hosts international soccer matches.

The Wales national soccer team began playing competitive matches at the ground in 1877. Nearly 150 years later, ‘The Dragons’ still occasionally play games at the Racecourse Ground.

‘WORLD SOCCER TALK’ further stated that the club will determine complete funding for the stadium expansion later this month. However, the club has announced that the ownership is making a “significant financial contribution” towards the new stand.

Reynolds and McElhenney previously purchased the Welsh team in 2020. Nearly 99 percent of Wrexham Supporters Trust members approved of the decision.

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