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Wrexham Council To Meet With Football Club This Summer Over Stadium Development Plans

Published: Wednesday, Aug 2nd, 2017
Wrexham Council have said they have held no meetings with the owners of Wrexham Football Club over possible stadium developments, despite being noted as a key stakeholder by Welsh Government.

Back on July 19th a question was asked in the Senedd by Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymru’s North Wales AM to Welsh Labour’s to*Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure and Clwyd South AM, Ken Skates*regarding the Racecourse.

Llyr Gruffydd followed on from a previous question over events, and asked: “One of the centres trying to establish itself as a venue for events with some of the major bands is the Racecourse. I have regularly raised the need to invest in the Racecourse with you, because it needs to be—and it should be—an important centre for entertainment, but also an international standard sport stadium.

“We constantly hear this Government making very proactive statements about conference centres and so on. When will we see the Government being as proactive in ensuring investment in the Racecourse?”

In reply the transcript notes Ken Skates saying: “Can I thank Llyr for his question. I know he shares a very keen interest in this subject with my colleague Lesley Griffiths, and with the local Member of Parliament, Ian Lucas. I’m sure all of you would like to see, as I would, the Racecourse receive investment to become a more active and vibrant hub within the Wrexham community, but, indeed, in the wider region.

“My officials, I’m pleased to say, recently met with Wrexham Football Trust. They discussed the vision for the stadium, but of key significance will be the role that the local authority plays in devising a masterplan for the town to ensure that any future investment in the stadium is aligned with other facilities and other services that are being developed in Wrexham, but, to my mind, there is no doubt that the Racecourse deserves to have investment to make sure that it can go on being the oldest international stadium in Britain, in Europe, and possibly the world.

“To do that, it will need further investment, and the further investment will only come as a consequence of a sound business case and a very clear vision, and that’s exactly what, through my officials, we are now trying to draw together.”

After watching the exchange and the clear emphasis placed on Wrexham Council’s role we asked Wrexham Council if there had been any meetings this year between them and the Wrexham Supporters Trust who own the club and have a near 100 year lease on the ground. We asked for comment on progress, assuming there had been meetings.

Further we noted that the Racecourse ground itself was specifically mentioned in a previous Local Development Plan, and enquired if the ground would be protected in a similar manner in the forthcoming ‘new’ LDP.
Today we have had a reply from Wrexham Council with Cllr Paul Rogers, Lead Member for Youth Services and Anti-Poverty, with responsibility for sport, telling us: “There have been no meetings between WST and Wrexham Council regarding development of the stadium, but a meeting is planned for later in the summer.

“The process of producing the LDP is taking its course and this will be examined”.

Later in the Senedd session Wrexham and football was again mentioned with another query by Mr Gruffydd over an update on procurement over a National Football Museum and the possible location, with concerns that a broad study could mean Wrexham could miss out.

Mr Skates replied: “Can I just assure the Member that the specification does state that the preferred location is in Wrexham or elsewhere in north Wales.
“I think it’s well recognised that north Wales would do well to have a sports museum or a football museum—a specialist football museum.

It could potentially complement the football museum that exists in Manchester.

“Given that it’s a live procurement, there’s a limited amount that I can say on this, but we have honoured the agreement that we reached, and I’m excited about this piece of work. I think it could produce a very, very enticing idea that we would be keen to deliver, provided the feasibility study makes it an affordable one.”

Mark Isherwood, Conservative AM for North Wales, followed up saying: “I’ve also had similar concerns raised with me regarding the feasibility study—the procurement document you refer to—which does, I’m told, talk of there being a sports museum in Wales, so I’m reassured by your comments.

“But do you agree that it is important that what comes out of this ensures that the north-east is recognised for its pioneering role in promoting what’s become, for many, the national sport—some might argue it’s rugby union but, for many others, it’s football—recognising that this club started in 1872, that it’s where the first international match was played in Wales, where the Football Association of Wales was formed, and that it’s home, of course, to one of the world’s oldest football clubs?”

Mr Skates replied: “Wrexham Association Football Club have an incredible history that deserves to be recognised and promoted.

“I can also assure Members, because I heard on the opposition benches concerns expressed about whether this would be a national museum of Wales or just a football museum. We will be engaging the National Museum Wales in discussions and deliberations as part of the feasibility study.

“As far as Wrexham AFC and football as a whole are concerned, north-east Wales has a very proud heritage in the sport. Many of us from that part of Wales would consider it to be certainly one of the national sports—probably the one that was most widely played by us when we were growing up—and we’re keen to make sure that any investment in a facility such as this serves to inspire people as well as to capture the past and to inspire people to go on to be very successful in football in the future.”