Racecourse Ground Wrexham. Credit: Roberts & Daughter
Good news for Wrexham fans today as the club have confirmed that football at the Racecourse Ground will continue up until 2115 after the failure of the headlease and underlease of the stadium. Made on Monday, 13 July, the deal not only makes things simpler for the club in terms of ownership but also assures that the Racecourse will be a permanent ground for football for many more decades to come.
While most fans may not really know about what has been going on from a legal perspective, the deal has a lot of importance. Apart from ending the previous deal, the deal maintains covenants which ensure that the playing of football will continue at the Racecourse Ground until 2115.
This comes as another reminder for the supporters of how much Wrexham’s fortunes have changed over the past few years.
A guarantee for future generations
Progress is usually gauged in terms of the team’s standings, promotions, or new signings, but making sure that the club’s base is safe is equally significant. The current deal means that the fans of Wrexham can enjoy their football in the world’s oldest international football ground.
Through retaining the covenants up until 2115, it will ensure that the Racecourse Ground continues serving as a venue for football games for many years to come. This assurance goes beyond the present ownership or management of the club.
Building on the work already done
Wrexham acquired the freehold on the Racecourse Ground in June 2022, even though the stadium is still under a lease that was owned by WST Assets before being leased back to the football club. Getting rid of these leases marks yet another level of legal complication out of the way.
It is a clear indication of the teamwork between Wrexham AFC and the Wrexham Supporters Trust, which had played an integral part in protecting the club and its stadium during the period of supporter ownership.
This comes amid the ongoing construction of the new Kop stand, yet another indication of the changes being made at the Racecourse. The simplification of the stadium’s legal situation will make it easier for the club to plan for the future.
Finally, Wrexham has made a payment of £187,000 to the Wrexham Supporters Trust, equal to the money the supporters had put together to rescue the club in 2011. It is a good way to thank the fans whose actions have kept the club alive through some of its hardest times.
The combination of championship football, plans for re-development, and increased attendances has certainly altered the landscape at the Racecourse in recent years. But whatever this latest deal, it has been made in private, and securing football at the ground until 2115 could well go down as some of the best news ever to have come supporters’ way.
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