National football museum could be ‘catalyst’ for Racecourse redevelopment

A proposed £4.4m investment into a new national football museum in Wrexham has gained support in Cardiff Bay, with one AM saying the move could be the catalyst for redevelopment at the Racecourse ground itself.

Wrexham had been identified as the leading place for a national football museum (full report here) last week, with the Welsh Assembly being presented with the report yesterday.

The Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport, Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM presented the report, “There is a recommendation to invest in Wrexham in order to allow the development of a football museum there, and the recommendation goes on to mention an expert panel on sport heritage in order to strengthen that national vision, and there will be frameworks arising from that. And then there’s an important recommendation that other sports deserve to be included and that we must seek other means of addressing that issue, rather than creating further museums for the various different sports.

“There is a specific reference that has been made to the local authority in Wrexham in the report, and it is clear that it’s not a mater for the Welsh Government to determine the way forward alone. And I have sought all opportunities—and I do have very many of them—to have discussions on these issues around sporting events in order to see what the view is and what the feeling is more generally within the sector.”

AM’s spoke warmly of the plans that could see Wrexham’s museum upgraded and redeveloped with new gallery spaces on the first floor, together with an extension set out within the forecourt.

David Melding AM said he ‘couldn’t think of a better place than Wrexham, so I like that aspect of what we are considering’, with Cardiff City fan Gareth Bennett AM adding: “I totally acknowledge that the north-east corner of Wales was where organised football really began in Wales. Of course, for many years, the Racecourse staged many or most of the Welsh internationals. There was some disquiet in the 1990s among north Walians—I was aware of it at the time—when we started to have more of the internationals coming down to Cardiff, at that time at the national stadium. And I think this would be a good move to re-emphasise the importance of the north-east to include it in a strategy for the celebration of culture in Wales”

“There were other important clubs early on in that north-east corner. In the Wrexham area, there was Druids from Ruabon, and there was Chirk FC as well. They were also early winners of the Welsh Football Association Cup, apart from Wrexham. Chirk produced Billy Meredith, who was probably the most famous player of the Edwardian era in the entire British isles, so I think Chirk played a big part as well. So, that would also fit in with the strategy of having this museum in Wrexham. And tying it in with the redevelopment of the stadium, that would be a good idea if we could look at that seriously. I think that does warrant a lot of consideration.”

Plaid Cymru offered up two adjustments to the proposals before the Assembly, adding “…welcomes the recommendation that a National Football Museum should be established in Wrexham” and a specific new point: “…Calls on the Welsh Government to commit to implementing the central recommendation of the report, ‘Sports Museum for Wales Feasibility Study’, that a national football museum should be created in Wrexham.”

Llyr Gruffydd AM explained: “We are eager, not just to note, but to welcome the central recommendation of the feasibility study on the national football museum, and also to move forward to implement that recommendation of creating a national football museum that we all want to see.”

“The report’s findings are a vindication of the campaign launched three years ago, when I and Plaid Cymru colleagues first went public on this, alongside Wrexham Supporters Trust directors, when we launched our campaign at the Racecourse ground. Back then, of course, we argued that a national football museum should be based in Wrexham, the spiritual home of the game.”

Long long list of historic reasons why Wrexham and football are intrinsically linked given. Request for timetable and comment he still wants footy museum incorporated into a redevelopment of the Racecourse says Llyr Gruffydd AM Live: https://t.co/aZudu8R26Y pic.twitter.com/3rgQRRO5ne

— Wrexham.com (@wrexham) November 27, 2018

Last week we noted the report referenced a document entitled “The Racecourse Ground – a Strategic Vision for the stadium incorporating Museum of Welsh Sporting Culture” produced by the football club is referenced in the feasibility study, with many hoping a new museum would tie in with the redevelopment of the Kop end of the ground, however noted ‘The preferred approach does not offer a viable business case for any investment in the ‘Kop End’ of the Racecourse, where more commercial models should be the focus of attention’.

Llyr Gruffydd AM said: “It still remains my ambition that the museum is incorporated into a future redevelopment of the Racecourse. It’s a great pity that that prospect was dismissed in a single paragraph in the feasibility study, but, certainly, as a party, we are keen to see this development happen and we’ll continue to press for the museum to be a catalyst for that redevelopment at the Racecourse ground, albeit maybe that ambition is now something that we have to consider in the slightly longer term.

Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM replied: “Amendment 2 welcomes the recommendation to establish the football museum in Wrexham and we’re happy with that, of course. There are implications that we will need to discuss with Wrexham County Borough Council. I don’t know if Llyr has been in discussion with them, I haven’t, but there will be an opportunity to do that following this debate.”

“We will respond to the debate in a practical manner, because my intention after today is to start to take action, to continue to consult with the sector, but I won’t be making final decisions until I’ve had a lengthy conversation with those who have contributed today, particularly the party spokespeople, so that we do seek that consensus, or as much agreement as is possible in an area that is necessarily contentious like this.”