Council set to “agree a capital contribution” to progressing Football Museum

Councillors will be asked later this year to back the planned Football Museum for Wales via a capital contribution.

Separately some images have emerged from plans being drawn up for the extension of the town’s museum to house the football element, although no formal documents have been made public the council have released three images and have said, the architects and designers have worked out plans that envisage:

• The current main gallery returned to its original use as a courtyard hub, but enclosed and providing a lift and stairs to the first floor.
• The Football Museum for Wales being centred around Court No.1 (the large courtroom)
• The Wrexham Museum focusing on Court No.2 and the eastern side of the museum building.
• A new learning and community hub on the forecourt, providing for the first time ever a flexible up to date and fully accessible learning and events space for use by schools, community groups and for holiday activities
• An enlarged temporary exhibitions gallery extending out into the former exercise yard
• A children’s zone on the ground floor
• A quieter introductory area for those who benefit from such places
• An expanded café providing additional seating in the re-purposed archives office, alongside the seating in the front extension and spreading into the forecourt
• A larger shop allowing the museum to sell football and Wales related souvenirs, especially targeted at day trippers and holiday makers.

Lead Member for Museums, Cllr Paul Roberts said: “Overall much has been achieved, but there is so much more to do to ensure that we, with the help and support of people and communities from Wrexham and across Wales, working together, can create a Football Museum for Wales and a new Wrexham Museum fit for the spiritual home of Welsh football and Wales’s newest city.”

“View into the Loyalties & Rivalries of club football zone of the football museum galleries”

Chair of the Football Museum Steering Group Ian Bancroft said: “It really is an exciting time for football in Wales and Wrexham, the spiritual home of Welsh football. “Football plays a huge part in our identity, culture and heritage.”It’s great to see plans for the Wrexham Museum and Welsh football museum developing as we look forward to the delivery of this exciting project in 2025.”

Bird’s eye view concept drawing of the planned galleries for the Football Museum for Wales

The council added, “There is a lot more work to go into these designs, involving not just the museum staff and the consultation panels we have established, but people right across Wales, not least through the work of the Engagement Officers who will be recruited over the summer to act as roving ambassadors for the football museum.”

Based on the last public proposals, the initial estimate of the capital cost for such a facility is around £4,400,000, and the additional running costs to support the proposed museum are estimated to be in the order of £144,500 per annum.

“The new double-height courtyard with visual images and film display based around the theme of Together Stronger: Wales, Wrexham & Football”

Back in 2020 we reported how a Steering Group was assessing a business plan – with the consultants Fourth Street well known in Wrexham for their work with Ty Pawb, as we reported previously the council effectively ripped up the consultants business plan for Tŷ Pawb after it became operational.

Wrexham Council have now recently said councillors will “agree a capital contribution to the development of the Football Museum Wales; and consider any longer term revenue implications”, with documents and detail expected to emerge publicly in September.