As we know, the Wrexham stadium, now called the STōK Cae Ras (or STōK Racecourse, is receiving a ￡25m boost from the Welsh government as part of a plan to expand the stadium’s capacity to 15,000.
A Substantial Amount
The council board previously applied for UK government Levelling Up Fund money for the project, which was rejected in January. However, the Welsh government has now agreed to provide a “substantial amount” of the funding, with the rest coming from a partnership between the football club, the Football Association of Wales and Transport for Wales. The new stand will be fully-seated and will have a roof, it will be complete in 2025.
Completely Demolished
The old stand has now been completely demolished and four new floodlights have also been installed. The new lights are LED, meaning they will consume less electricity. They can also flash on and off in time to music, as we saw during the Kings of Leon concert! As Liam Roberts points out in his YouTube video, the new stand looks like it will slant slightly towards the pitch to keep sound in and make the atmosphere in the stadium even more intense.
The Turf Pub Outdoor Area
Concept drawings of the new development would indicate the hospitality area next to the Turf will not be available during this season. The space appears to be for construction equipment and cranes. Statements from the construction company Morgan Sindall would appear to confirm this: “For a limited period, the site will extend to include The Turf Pub car park. Plant will be in this area to complete cladding works to the gable end of the stand.” Wales will face Gibraltar at the stadium in October. The first time the men’s national side has played in Wrexham since 2019.
Golden Lion, Coedpoeth
Landlords Sian and Lee Jones have commissioned this amazing painting of the new Kop End stand. It is on the wall of the pub outbuilding. O&H Metalwork manufactured the Wrexham AFC shield replica. Wrexham mayor Andy Williams is just one of the people to have been along and taken a look so far.
Fat Boar Mural
Talented Liam Stokes-Massey, the local artist renowned for his mural celebrating Wales’ involvement in the World Cup, has been commissioned by Fat Boar owner Rich Watkin to create a new piece of art on the side of the pub to honour its return to the EFL. The colourful mural of Paul Mullin features a lovely reference to YourSpace, the children’s charity of which Reds striker Mullin recently became a patron. Mullin has not taken the field this season after suffering a punctured lung during the preseason tour of the US. Stokes-Massey’s latest eye-catching piece, which we feature on our front cover, is sure to excite fans and become an iconic landmark in the city centre.
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