As Wrexham’s unstoppable rise continues, there are big plans for the club to have a new, much larger home.
Wrexham have almost outgrown their iconic Racecourse stadium. Following the club’s third-straight promotion last season, there are plans to build a brand new stand, but right now the players are playing in front of only three stands.
The temporary stand at the Racecourse was removed going into this season, but there are plans for Wrexham to complete their new Kop stand by this time next year. Currently, Wrexham have the smallest stadium in the Championship, with the removal of the temporary stand taking their capacity to 10,500.
But the new stand will hold close to 8,000 fans. Initially it was due to be 5,500 before the club submitted a new application to hold another 2,250, with the new stand set to be two-tiered.
What Phil Parkinson has said on Wrexham’s stadium renovation
Playing with three stands certainly isn’t ideal, but Wrexham won’t let it get in the way of their incredible momentum. After Wrexham finished 2nd in League One last season, they’ve now begun their Championship campaign. But for Phil Parkinson’s side it’s been two-straight defeats with Wrexham losing against Southampton on the opening day, before then suffering a 3-2 loss against West Brom in their last outing.
Speaking earlier in the year, Parkinson gave his verdict on Wrexham’s stadium renovations and the fact that they’re playing without an extra stand this season. He said: “Unfortunately, nothing can be done about that. Other grounds have had to do the same and there is no other way around that.
“It is going to be different next season but we have had a few different feels at that end of The Racecourse over the last three or four years. The most important thing is that the ground is going to be getting to where it needs to be for the division we are operating in.”
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Where will Wrexham’s new stadium capacity rank among the Championship?
The Championship currently boasts some huge stadiums. The biggest, in fact, is Hillsborough, home to Sheffield Wednesday. This weekend, Wrexham play Sheffield Wednesday in Wales, and it has a must-win feel about it, given Wrexham’s opening two defeats and Wednesday’s struggles on and off the pitch right now.
The next biggest stadium after that is Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium, which is closely followed by Derby County’s Pride Park. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, it is Wrexham’s Racecourse ground and Oxford United’s Kassam Stadium which are by far the two smallest stadiums in the league. Oxford’s Kassam Stadium has long had three stands.
But when Wrexham’s new stand is finished, it will take the stadium capacity up towards 18,000, which is a significant upgrade, though it will remain among the smaller stadiums in the Championship. Still, that’s bigger than both Bournemouth and Brentford’s stadium capacity, and they’re Premier League regulars now.
For the Wrexham players, and for players like Max Cleworth who have come right up from the National League with the club, this season will be a chance to play at some of English football’s most iconic and oldest stadiums. Playing in front of 30,000 fans in more than 10 stadiums in the league will make for a memorable season no matter the outcome at the end of the campaign.
Still, owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have big ambitions for the club this season and in the future, and the renovation of the club’s stadium reflects just that.