Wrexham complete purchase of Racecourse Ground from Glyndwr University
- Published
The Racecourse Ground hosted Wales' first home international match in 1877
Wrexham have completed the purchase of their Racecourse Ground home.
Wrexham Glyndwr University had bought the stadium and the club's Colliers Park training ground in 2011.
Wrexham Supporters' Trust assumed stadium operation responsibilities when it agreed a 99-year lease in 2016.
With the club now owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the university felt it was "the right time to facilitate the club taking ownership of the stadium once again".
Earlier this month, Wrexham's redevelopment of the Racecourse's Kop end moved a step closer with the club's local authority approving its demolition and clearance.
Wrexham County Borough Council gave the work the go-ahead, with the National League club hoping to develop a 5,500-capacity seated stand at that end of the ground.
It is part of the Wrexham Gateway Project plans, which include increasing capacity to more than 15,000.
On the sale of the Racecourse, Reynolds and McElhenney said: "This is a great day for both the club and ourselves, and one that we targeted from the first day of our ownership, encouraged by the vote of confidence from the club's fans in November 2021.
"While day to day, this changes very little for the club, the symbolism of this moment is a massively important step for the club going forward.
"We would like to thank Wrexham Glyndwr University, our neighbours, for the support they have provided the club historically. We look forward to enhancing our already strong working relationship with them."
The takeover of Wrexham by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney is to be the subject of a documentary series called Welcome to Wrexham
Wrexham Glyndwr University's executive director of finance, David Elcock, said: "It was a great honour for us to have been custodians of the oldest international football stadium in the world.
"In 2011, when the university purchased the stadium, it was not only for the benefit of our students and staff, but also the wider community. It was imperative that the football ground was preserved for the people of Wrexham and further afield.
"It was a huge commitment and civic responsibility for us to undertake, but the purchase was crucial in helping to keeping the football club alive during a summer in which the fans raised more than £100,000 in a day just to keep the club in existence.
"More than 10 years on it is time for us to hand the stadium back to the club under its new ownership so they can take forward the exciting developments and improvements they have planned.
"From my earliest conversation with Ryan and Rob it was something they were keen to do, and we were happy to help."
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