As Wrexham edge towards their goal of promotion back to the English Football League, the club have revealed ambitious plans for the coming months.
Alongside planned investment in Phil Parkinson's squad, co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are also financing major renovations at the club's home base — the Racecourse Ground.
The stadium has fallen into disrepair during the last decade, with the Kop Stand unfit for use since 2008, as a standing area of the arena.
The plans have received approval from the local authority with building work on the project starting in January 2023.
MORE: When will Wrexham get promoted? Scenarios and schedule for Ryan Reynolds' club to EFL League Two
Why is Wrexham's stadium called the Racecourse Ground?
Wrexham's Racecourse Ground holds a number of eye-catching historical records since it began hosting football matches in 1864.
The stadium is the world's oldest international football arena, that is still hosting international matches, with more Wales games played there than any other stadium in the country.
The Racecourse Ground takes its name from its former use as a horse racing venue in the early 19th century, before being solely used for football following Wrexham's formation.
What is the Racecourse Ground's capacity?
Prior to the 2008 closure of The Kop, the Racecourse Ground could hold 20,000 fans across seated and standing areas.
The closed area significantly reduced the standing space at the stadium, with a minor upgrade in 2013 bringing the capacity up to 10,771.
"For the times, they are a-changin..."
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The development will turn The Kop into a 5,500 all-seated area with the ground's new capacity set to move over the 15,000 mark.
In the 2022/23 season, Wrexham had the fifth-highest stadium capacity, behind Gateshead, Notts County, Oldham Athletic and Southend United.
Speaking in April of 2024, the Hollywood stars admitted they believe the stadium could get to over 50,000 at some point in the future.
“We have a plan in place that would work from stand to stand so, eventually, you get all four sides,” McElhenney told the U.S. entertainment website Collider. “We think we could get between 45,000 and 55,000 people in there.”
Reasons for Racecourse renovation
Reynolds and McElhenney have prioritised a stadium upgrade since their arrival in North Wales in 2021 with a capacity upgrade a key requirement for competing in the EFL.
The EFL has specific rules over capacity thresholds and standing areas in stadiums with Wrexham eager to continue to move up the divisions in the years ahead.
How much will the expansion cost?
The estimated overall cost of the Racecourse Stadium expansion and redevelopment is expected to cost between £80m/$99m and £90m/$112m with the 50% of the project financed by public funding.
The Welsh Government has pledged £25m/$31.2m to the funding pot, which will also redevelop the area around the stadium and transport links from Wrexham General train station.
