Some fans may be in the Kop in February. Credit: Roberts & Daughter / @tenspromike Instagram
Wrexham fans could be in the new Kop as early as February after chief executive Michael Williamson revealed the club is working towards opening part of the stand before its full completion. While the target remains to have the redevelopment fully operational for the start of the 2027-28 season, Williamson says there is hope that a limited number of seats could be available during the closing months of next season.
That would mark the first time supporters have been able to use the new stand and would provide a significant boost as Wrexham continue their push to establish themselves in the Championship.
Demand for tickets remains exceptionally high following the club’s rise through the divisions, making any additional capacity welcome if it can be delivered without affecting the overall construction programme.
Michael Williamson outlines hope for early Kop opening
Speaking to Leader Live, Williamson explained the club is exploring whether part of the stand can be opened before all facilities are complete.
“We are working diligently with the city as well as the contractors to see, even if it’s a minimal number of seats, that we can open up without real services or amenities of what the Kop will eventually be, but just to have seats available for people to sit in during matches as soon as possible.
“If we’re fortunate, maybe that’s something that could come in a February, March, April period, which could be very important and beneficial for the club if we’re making a push in the play-offs to be able to have even a few hundred up to 1,000 or so people that are able to fill in seats there.
“But that’s still not a guarantee yet, we’re still working through it.”
Even a few hundred extra seats would help ease demand and provide a boost in what could be a crucial part of the season. Williamson was clear that any phased opening would only happen if it did not slow down the overall construction schedule.
August 2027 remains the priority
The main goal is still to have the Kop fully open by the start of the 2027-28 season. Williamson said the club is focused on that timeline and is working closely with McLaren Construction to make sure everything stays on track.
Asked about the possibility of an early partial opening, Williamson said:
“That’s what our hope is and that’s what we’re working towards but ultimately, we need to balance that to make sure that doesn’t cause any impact to the delivery of being able to open up fully in August 2027.
“That’s the more important marker in the project. We need to make sure that is fully operational and running on full cylinders for the start of that season.”
The new Kop will be a 5,500-seat stand, restoring the Racecourse Ground to a four-sided stadium. There is also a separate application to increase its capacity to around 7,500 seats, which would push the overall stadium size past 18,000 if approved.
For now, fans will keep watching the progress from the rest of the ground. Williamson’s update gives hope that supporters could be inside the new Kop months before the official opening, as long as it does not delay the full launch.
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