Racecourse could be 55,000 capacity stadium say Rob and Ryan

Wrexham could be the home of the 11th biggest stadium in the UK.

The possible capacity figure for the Racecourse was floated in an interview with Rob and Ryan on a Collider.com interview last night – video below.

Currently the Racecourse has a 12,600 capacity with plans for replacement Kop with 5,500 seats already approved.

There has been local rumour that the current Kop plans could change to see a new version of the stand created that allows the corners to be filled in easily as and when the other stands are redeveloped with a wider aim for a bigger overall stadium longer term.

That rumour appears to have legs if the comments from Co-Chairman Rob and associated seat-maths add up. The current new Kop design would see around 11,000 seats added if replicated at both ends behind the goals, and even with enlarged stands along the side of the pitch limited by Mold Road and Those Student Flats the total could still be well below the 50k mark.

In the interview with Collider the expansion of the Racecourse is asked about specifically, with ‘bureaucracy’ and ‘hurdles for hurdles sake’ being pointed to.

Ryan has a damming assessment of trying to develop in Wales, “The thick buttress of bureaucracy is the biggest fucking problem. In Wales, there really is a lot of red tape.”

Picking up on the future of the Racecourse, they are asked, “I know you’re thinking about the Racecourse being about 16,000 seats when the addition that you’re building now will be done. What is the goal in terms of seating at the racecourse? Are you thinking one day, it could be 20,000? Or do you think 16,000 is a great number?

Rob says, “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 agreed with a ‘hardcore expansion’ description, adding “Yeah, the whole town can come to the game”.

Asked about their favourite goal (none football!), with Rob answering, “I think if the assumption is that we’re doing it the right way, which is the way that we hopefully back up consistently in the mission statement, that getting to the Premier League is the ultimate goal and staying in the Premier League and being sustainable.

“But again, that’s only assume that we’re doing it in a fashion that that the community supports. Because there are all sorts of ways to succeed and we feel as though there’s only a few paths that we feel would be ethically viable to do so”.

Later the co-chairman add, “We don’t ever really consider ourselves as owners necessarily. It’s more like stewards of the club. But, i’ll say that when we win it’s got to feel 20% better than anything I’ve ever felt in my life. Then when we lose, which, god forbid, doesn’t happen that often thank God, but I, yeah, it’s a pretty bottomless pit of despair for a little while, hard, hard to dig yourself out of”.

spoke to @VancityReynolds and @RMcElhenney about @WrexhamFX, #Wrexham AFC’s ultimate goals for the future, and expanding The Racecourse Ground. #WelcometoWrexham Season 3 premieres on FX on May 2, with subsequent episodes releasing every Thursday. pic.twitter.com/BhSO7Psr6h

— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) April 30, 2024