Wrexham FC: Delay in building new Racecourse Kop stand

Racecourse ground, WrexhamGetty Images

The redeveloped stand will increase the stadium's capacity

A new 5,500-seat stand at Wrexham's Stok Racecourse ground will not be open in time for next season.

There is no start date for work on the Kop, and it is expected to take 12 months to build.

The club has returned to the Football League after a 15-year absence, under its American actor owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

It said funding for the project had not yet been finalised, despite it securing financial backing from the council.

Wrexham council said there was no delay to the project, but more time was needed to sort out the funding agreement.

The club said it hoped negotiations with the authority would be completed by the end of this October.

There were a number of conditions to be satisfied, said the club.

These include satisfying Uefa regulations; diversion of a sewer, and removal of an electricity cable running across the land.

The development - which will take Wrexham's home capacity to 15,000 - had an application for UK government Levelling Up Fund money rejected in January.

The council previously said it would reallocate a "substantial amount" of a £25m Welsh government grant to the plan.

Leader Mark Pritchard said the rest of the cash would come from a partnership.

This would involve the football club, the Football Association of Wales and Transport for Wales, with the local railway station and transport infrastructure also improved.

Alistair Aldridge, Wrexham council's gateway project manager, said there was no "hold up" in the project.

"The club needs to be satisfied that it can meet the conditions of the funding agreement," he said. "We understand that they are progressing the matters that they mentioned in their statement and, as soon as they are resolved, we understand that the club will complete the legal agreement."

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