Wrexham have now received a concerning update that could put the future of their academy in serious jeopardy.
For the longest time, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have campaigned to find Wrexham a suitable training base that can house the men’s, women’s and academy all under one roof.
The Hollywood owners made improving their training facilities a key target following their takeover in 2021, but finding a suitable site has proved difficult.
Reynolds has previously spoken about how they need a new training ground ‘badly’ however, due to there being so much bureaucracy involved, their plans have been thwarted by the Wrexham council.
Phil Parkinson’s squad currently train at a series of rented facilities, including the Colliers Park complex, though this has put their chances of achieving a Category Three academy in jeopardy.
Wrexham’s Category Three application gets rejected by the EFL
Wrexham have seen their application for a Category Three academy get rejected, as per The Athletic.
It’s concerning news for the club as not being granted a move from a Category Four academy will mean they can only operate teams from under 17 onwards.
This would be a huge blow for the youngsters signed up for the lower-age teams with the view to representing the club in the 2024/25 season.
Parents were informed of this situation on May 31 via letter and Academy Manager Andy Lowe said the key reason why was “purely in relation to the facilities”. He also uttered that there was no guarantee the club would be guaranteed Category 3 status for the new campaign and at this moment, would remain in Category 4.
To guarantee the future of talented youngsters arriving at the club, a new training ground is imperative as Wrexham have already missed out on several talented players due to not having the resources or infrastructure in place.
The star players Wrexham have missed out on
The need to have a Category 3 Academy is supported by how important it is for a club to develop its own talent, having watched academy graduate Max Cleworth flourish in the first team and recently sign a new three-year contract.
Due to not boasting high-level training facilities and the right infrastructure, Wrexham have missed out on several talented youngsters who hail from the region.
This list includes a trio of Welsh internationals, Nottingham Forest’s Neco Williams, Fulham winger Harry Wilson and Rangers midfielder Tom Lawrence, who were all snapped up by bigger clubs boasting more resources than the Reds.
To avoid missing out on further talented youngsters born in the region, an alternative to the Colliers Park facility must be located, as while success continues to unfold on the pitch, Reynolds and McElhenney are unable to build for the future until they meet the requirements of a Category 3 Academy.