Council Leader would support Rob & Ryan’s 55k seater Racecourse ambition

The Leader of Wrexham Council has said he would support a huge new stadium at the Racecourse.

Wrexham.com asked senior leaders at this month’s Wrexham Council media brief about recent comments by Wrexham AFC co-chairmen over the possible mega-stadium expansion plans.

As we reported Rob threw a curve ball in the Kop and Racecourse plans in an interview with Collider.com, “We have a plan in place right now that would eventually work from stand to stand. So eventually, you get all four sides, and it’s hard to say for sure, but we think we could get between 45,000 and 55,000 people in there.”

Ryan backed up the comments with a ‘hardcore expansion’ description, adding “Yeah, the whole town can come to the game”.

Wrexham Council are set to make a £17.83 million, of ultimately Welsh Government cash, contribution to the Kop redevelopment project. The overall project has been stated as being in the region of £37.7m

Due to the significant amount of public money, and the recent comments, we asked if Wrexham Council was aware of any huge changes to the plans for the Kop or Racecourse.

Wrexham Council Chief Executive Ian Bancroft said, “We are not aware of any changes. We are in regular contact to receive updates about those plans. Obviously at this point, there is an agreed project, with a commercial close, with planning permission, and also with a draft grant agreement ready to sign. So that’s that’s where we are at the moment. We’re still in that position.”

A detailed update back in September saw the football club explain how a grant funding agreement from Wrexham County Borough Council needed to be finalised and the club satisfied that the conditions attached to the funding offer could be fulfilled. Two months ago we reported how the agreements had not yet been signed.

We asked why the draft agreement had not been signed, and if that was due to issues the council’s end.

Mr Bancroft appeared relaxed, “No, nothing. It literally is with the football club in terms of just being ready to go. I guess, in light of everything positive that’s happened this season, there’s bound to be a review of of the situation that the club’s in. For us the close season was always a key point in time in terms of thinking, what now happens in terms of taking that agreement forward?”

With the 45-55,000 seater stadium comments sparking huge worldwide debate we asked if those ambitions became firm plans would Wrexham Council back and match the ambition.

Council Leader Mark Pritchard stated a definite “Yes”.

Adding, “We have a very good working relationship with football club. We have said from day one,  we’re really pleased with our partnership, and all the partners that we have in it, and we look forward to what the future holds. It is a decision for the football club.

“We always support the football club in in their ambitions, and will continue to do so.”

Top pic: Council Leader Mark Pritchard, and club co-chairmen Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney outside the Guildhall.