More than £5.4m for new Football Museum for Wales in Wrexham finally confirmed

The Welsh Government say they are “providing a further £5.45m” for the new Football Museum for Wales in Wrexham.

The funding is part of an agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.

The museum, which will be within Wrexham Museum and see a substantial redevelopment of the building, will celebrate Wales’ football heritage and help build a legacy from the nation’s involvement in the men’s FIFA World Cup 2022, ensuring its history is valued and stories are recorded for future generations of players and supporters.

Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden said: “Wrexham is the birthplace of Welsh football so it’s the ideal location to celebrate the sport’s heritage.

“We have seen many successes, especially in recent years, in men’s and women’s football, and ensuring the dramatic and emotive events on the international stage, the history and development of club football in Wales and the spirit and diversity of the Welsh football community is told in one place will be vital for present and future generations.

“The new museum will become a key venue in the city as well as for North Wales’ tourist and visitor offer. It also comes at an exciting time for Wrexham AFC as they aim to get back into the Football League.

“Today’s announcement is a great example of the Welsh Government’s commitment to Wrexham and North Wales, especially following the recent disappointing news from the UK Government about the failed levelling-up fund bid.”

Welsh Government point out that since 2020, more than £800,000 in Welsh Government funding has already ensured the appointment of a dedicated Football Curator and Engagement Officers, the progression of designs, and a pan-Wales public engagement and community consultation to develop proposed plans and content.

Wrexham.com has previously reported a ‘council’ injection of £1m as it was allocated in a Wrexham Council budget – which was via a Welsh Government ‘Regional Economic Framework Priorities grant’.

It appears today’s announcement is the original £5m (ish) in the 19-20 budget being formally confirmed, as we reported in 2017 – although the budget PDF has been removed from the Gov.Wales website.

The Deputy Minister added: “I am grateful to all our partners who we continue to work closely with on this project including Wrexham County Borough Council and the FAW.

“We are now at a very exciting stage and the funding announced today, subject to conditions and approval of a Full Business Case in due course, will see community and pan-Wales engagement on the project continue as well as developing the content, collections and exhibitions through to construction and opening of the new Football Museum for Wales.”

Lesley Griffiths MS said: “Wrexham has always been the spiritual home of Welsh football and, therefore, the perfect location for a national football museum.

“The Welsh Government has been committed to creating a national football museum for a number of years and the fact the project is progressing as Wrexham AFC is enjoying worldwide recognition on a scale never experienced before is ideal.

“This substantial investment will create a major attraction right in the heart of our city centre.”

Lead Member for Partnerships and Community Safety at Wrexham County Borough Council, Councillor Paul Roberts, said:

“I’d like to thank the Welsh Government for their continued support for Wrexham, the spiritual home of football, to continue to develop the Football Museum for Wales.

“This is a really exciting project as football plays such a large part in our culture and identity and the people of Wrexham and across Wales can now be assured that the Welsh Football Collection will be preserved for present and future generations in Wales.

“This will be developed alongside a new museum for Wrexham which is currently home to a large and interesting collection of historical objects which shows the unique cultural heritage of Wrexham.”

The news has also welcomed by Plaid Cymru’s North Wales MS Llyr Gruffydd who says he ‘launched the campaign for such a museum back in 2016’.

Mr Gruffydd said: “It’s more than seven years since I stood up in the Senedd chamber to argue Wrexham’s case to have a national football museum. Back then we had to make the case that a football museum for Wales was needed – this was pre-Euro 2016 and the current boom in interest in the beautiful game. We also needed to make the case that Wrexham should be the home – for me and the campaign team it was clear that Wrexham was the spiritual home of Welsh football as it was here that the FAW was founded and played its first games. It is also the home of the 3rd oldest club in the world and the oldest surviving international football ground so it made perfect sense.

“There was also the advantage that Wrexham council had amassed the most comprehensive collection of Welsh football memorabilia in the land, so there was already a solid base to build upon.

“Those arguments, made alongside advocates such as Pete Jones of the Wrexham Supporters’ Trust and local international footballer Harry Wilson, carried the day and we’ve continued to push the football museum project over the years.

“This latest announcement is another important milestone and it couldn’t come at a better time.

“Wales reached the World Cup in Qatar last year after a 64-year wait and Wrexham football club is now a worldwide phenomenon due to the documentary series and new owners. Wrexham is already benefitting from this publicity and I’m sure the new museum will provide an added attraction for the growing number of international football tourists that are already coming here.”