February 4 – There aren’t many lower-league European clubs that constantly make international football news across the pond, but the Wrexham story continues to be a source of fascination to U.S. fans – courtesy of their celebrity ownership duo of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who bought the Welsh club in 2021.
Their stewardship has been closely followed in the Disney+ documentary ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, charting the club’s rise from the fifth to the third tiers of the English football pyramid.
Now, Hollywood’s favourite club have announced plans for a new 5,500-capacity stand at their Racecourse ground, enabling it to host matches in the European Under-19 Championship in 2026 and other international fixtures in the future.
The Racecourse is the world’s oldest football stadium hosting international matches that is still in use, staging its first in 1877. The once-imposing Kop has been unused since 2007, though a temporary stand for more than 2,000 seats was erected midway through last season.
Since being bought by Reynolds and McElhenney, the club have overseen back-to-back promotions and are currently in the play-off spots for promotion to the second-tier Championship.
Wrexham CEO Michael Williamson said: “The new Kop Stand marks a special moment in the history of the STōK Cae Ras, allowing us to restore the traditional four-sided enclosure of the stadium, providing new and improved facilities and experiences for our fans and visitors to the stadium alike. The distinctive design of the new Kop Stand embodies the history and heritage of Wrexham – rooted in the local community, creating a timeless, authentic piece of civic architecture that complements other landmarks. It will provide an iconic landmark standing at the gateway to the city giving it a true sense of place.”
More than £17million of public funding has been secured from the Welsh government to support the new Kop, which has been designed by Populous, who worked on Wembley and the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1738673426labto1738673426ofdlr1738673426owedi1738673426sni@w1738673426ahsra1738673426W.wer1738673426dnA1738673426.