Welsh Government To Hold Sports Facility Review – Racecourse To Fulfil Potential?

The Welsh Government ‘will build its sports facilities capacity’ as part of long term strategy to host major sporting events, perhaps unlocking the door to Racecourse Stadium improvements.

The Glyndwr University Racecourse Stadium* was one of the topics mentioned when we had a quick chat with now First Minster Carwyn Jones prior to the Assembly Elections.

At the time he said: “It is a great shame there is not a stadium in the north that is big enough with enough seats to host football internationals, and in many ways the spiritual home of football in the north of Wales is Wrexham. I remember in the 70’s the first time I had heard of Wrexham was because of the football team”, adding he felt the Racecourse had potential to be an international stadium in the future.

His position was echoed by Welsh Assembly Conservative’s leader Andrew Davies and Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood, who went a step further saying “it is essential we support the creation of a ‘Millennium Stadium of the North’”.

This week the Economy and Infrastructure Secretary, and local Clwyd South AM, Ken Skates has said he will ‘prioritise a review of sports facilities provision in order to ensure Wales is in the strongest possible position to host future high profile sporting events’.

The detail came as the the Welsh Government Cabinet had concluded it is not in a position to bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games ‘given the current financial uncertainty’.

Ken Skates said: “As Cabinet Secretary with responsibility for major events and elite sport I am determined to cement Wales’ reputation as a vibrant sporting nation and ensure we are in the best possible position to bid for and host high profile sporting events.

“Over the last four years the Welsh Government, in partnership with Commonwealth Games Wales, Sport Wales and others has undertaken in-depth work to consider the viability of a bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

“This has included a detailed feasibility work to consider the potential advantages, benefits, risks, challenges and costs associated with a bid. The work looked at a range of delivery models, including the Welsh Governments preference for an all-Wales bid which would have helped to ensure the benefits of the Games were felt across Wales.

“We have now fully considered that feasibility study, which sets out total projected costs for a Wales bid of between £1.32bn and £1.54bn. Such costs would involve a huge additional financial commitment from Welsh Government over three Assembly terms.

“Given the high cost, our understanding that an all-Wales bid was less likely to be supported and the current funding uncertainty following the vote to leave the EU, we have reluctantly concluded that the bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games is not feasible.”

After announcing a bid would not be made Mr Skates went mention a Welsh sport facility review, that could hopefully include the Racecourse, “I would stress that the work we have undertaken has not been wasted. It has highlighted the need for us to undertake a review of sports facilities in Wales with a view to increasing our spread of world class venues. Such venues would benefit the local community and the elite athlete, whilst also increasing our capacity to host major events.”

Any review could see the start of returning the oldest international football ground back to its former glory, and could help answer the question Carwyn Jones posed back in April, “How can we develop the stadium back into the stadium it used to be in terms of its status?”

(* This is the official name until Monday)