Wrexham host Stevenage with the opportunity to put the pressure on promotion rivals with three points at the Racecourse Ground.
Phil Parkinson’s side know that nothing less than a win will do to keep pace at the top of League One with rivals Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town playing each other in a crucial set of fixtures.
Wrexham have an exceptional home record under Parkinson and are yet to lose a match at the Racecourse Ground this season.
There have been plans to upgrade the Kop stand since the takeover from Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and new executive director Kaleen Allyn has given an ‘exciting’ update on those plans and other long-term projects for the club.
Kaleen Allyn provides ‘exciting’ update on Kop stand plans and the Wrexham academy
Speaking to the club’s official YouTube channel, new executive director Allyn shared an update to the fans on some of Wrexham’s long-term projects, most notably the new Kop stand and the academy.
Allyn spoke about her visit to the academy whilst she was in North Wales, Allyn stated: “There’s so many exciting things going on from building up the Kop stand to the Academy project. We spent some time down at the Academy and it was exceptional, that’s the next generation of Wrexham is those lads.”
The minority investor then shared an update on the eagerly-anticipated Kop stand plans, Allyn stated: “On the Kop stand we’ve had some terrific meetings and are excited to release the plans early February, it’s exceptional, Populus have done an incredible job and 5500 seats are coming soon.”
The executive director also shared that the new stand will feel ‘authentic’ to Wrexham and is hoping for the stand to become ‘iconic’ for the fans.
Wrexham academy hoping to produce more first team stars like Max Cleworth
One Wrexham academy graduate currently making his name in the first team side is that of Max Cleworth.
Parkinson was full of praise for Cleworth for his performance against Birmingham City recently, where he kept one of the most potent strikers in the league very quiet in Jay Stansfield.
Cleworth has made 26 appearances for the Red Dragons this season and alongside his tenacity in defence, has contributed six goals for the side as well.
Jordan Davies has suffered another injury setback whilst out on loan at Grimsby Town but is another example of a recent success story from the club’s thriving academy.
Premier League players such as Neil Taylor and Bryan Hughes have also come through the Wrexham academy in the past and Allyn’s comments prove that the club are aware of the importance of producing home-grown talent.
It seems that with owners Reynolds and McElhenney and the investment from the Allyn family, the future is looking bright for Wrexham both on and off the pitch.