Wrexham’s growth under Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds continues with stadium improvements on the horizon.
Wrexham return to League One action on Tuesday night, hosting Stevenage at the STōK Cae Ras.
Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Birmingham City saw Wrexham hit back after a dismal defeat at Shrewsbury Town.
Phil Parkinson will be looking to grab a win against Stevenage and continue a push towards the Championship.
Wrexham sit third in the League One table and have genuine dreams of a third straight promotion.
Ryan Reynolds is eyeing the Premier League but Wrexham must continue to grow off the pitch alongside the on-pitch success.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds praised amid Wrexham stadium plans
Wrexham have rapidly gone from the National League to pushing for place in the Championship.
That is a remarkable rise and whilst the on-pitch product has driven success, Wrexham still need to improve in terms of the off-field infrastructure.
The training ground and academy are two areas where Wrexham will be looking to strengthen in the coming years.
Wrexham are also moving forward with plans to freshen up the STōK Cae Ras, starting with the redevelopment of the Kop end.
Wrexham currently have a temporary stand at the Kop end and have enlisted the help of architectural firm Populous to aid the redevelopment plans.
Populous have quite the track record having worked on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Wembley Stadium and the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
Populous global director and senior principal Declan Sharkey shared his delight at working with Wrexham in October and has now offered more comments.
Speaking to The Athletic, Sharkey has admitted that Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have been truly ‘phenomenal’ during stadium planning.
Sharkey highlighted that both Hollywood stars have shown passion and commitment through the planning, helping Populous in their designs.
“Rob and Ryan have been phenomenal,” adds Sharkey. “Their passion, their commitment, their vision for this club has really informed our design process,” he added.
Populous on Wrexham stadium design
Wrexham’s plans will start with the Kop, but potentially extend to more redevelopment of the stadium and surrounding areas.
Sharkey told The Athletic that they want to design a stadium which really fits Wrexham as a club and as a city.
McElhenney has been adamant about representing the ‘ethos’ of Wrexham, highlighting five words – hardworking, humble, friendly, inspirational and beautiful.
Sharkey added that the Wrexham design won’t be similar to their others, such as Tottenham Hotspur’s incredible stadium or Fulham’s Riverside Stand redevelopment.
“I genuinely believe this design would only work in Wrexham,” said Sharkey. “It wouldn’t work anywhere else in the world. This is truly of Wrexham.
“One quote really resonated with me throughout this design process. It was something Rob (McElhenney) said, which was basically how ‘everything we do will have to represent the ethos of the town’. By that, he talked about hardworking, humble, friendly, inspirational, beautiful.
“That quote really started to drive our design. What you see, when looking at the materiality, will immediately speak of Wrexham,” he added.
This is all exciting stuff for Wrexham fans, who will have so many memories of the STōK Cae Ras as it is now – and as it was before the old Kop was demolished.
Keeping an essence of the STōK Cae Ras is vital and it’s reassuring to know that McElhenney and Reynolds appear to understand that – and that Populous are right on board.