New Kop building work still on target to start end of season

A new Kop stand could start to emerge in place of the temporary stand at the end of the season.

FiD asked Wrexham AFC Executive Director, Humphrey Ker, about the progress of the Kop noting that ‘the heads of terms with the Council’ for £17.8m of funding were not yet signed, however the Wrexham Supporters Trust and some site works involving electrics had been complete.

Mr Ker said, “We have ticked off a lot of the things that we need to do. Ultimately, part of it is gearing up to find outside financing and stuff like that as well. The council are paying for a big chunk of it, we need to find another big chunk of it. That was something that couldn’t start in earnest until various hoops had been jumped through etc etc.

“Our objective is still to get started end of the season basically, we haven’t quite crossed all the t’s and dotted all the i’s, but that remains the objective.”

FiD queried the temporary stand (pictured above) and the finances around the structure, with it previously being referenced that it could cost the club money to have in place.

Mr Ker said, “The longer it’s up for the more it pays for itself, basically. You will have seen it’s now being sponsored, so that’s another thing that has that has added to that. So without the sponsorship… without this, you’ve got operational operating costs, we have to staff it, you have a base level of cost, I think if we had just kept it operational through the end of the season, it would not wipe its own face.

“The Four Walls sponsorship basically has meant that’s a chunk of money that has tipped it over into profitability at this at this stage.

“Obviously, we don’t want it open next season we to want to be getting on with building, but if god forbid it is open that season, then then we’ll be we’ll be making money there.”

FiD also asked about the progress of a new training ground for the reds, and was told by Mr Ker, “We are still searching for appropriate spaces. As it happens there has been a big topic of conversation around the building for us and at board level of late, I think that we’ve assembled the candidates for different sites and a big conversation about that is due like this week.”

The Temporary Kop opened at the end of December and has allowed the club to welcome an additional 2,289+ fans to every home game. The club noted previously, “By opening the stand, Wrexham now benefits from having their vocal home support located behind each goal, and by making more match tickets available to the fanbase, the team has set their highest home league attendance since 1980… twice.”

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The ‘Four Walls’ sponsorship was announced last week – the Irish American Whiskey brand from Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton.

The video announcing it is below: