Glyndwr Uni plans £10m upgrade of Wrexham FC’s home

GLYNDWR University is looking to appoint a senior figure to spearhead a £10m redevelopment of Wrexham FC’s Racecourse Ground.

The university had become a joint venture partner with the stadium’s former owner, Wrexham Village Ltd, on a £40m scheme which involved the creation of a new student village on one side of the ground.

However, when Wrexham Village hit financial trouble last year owners Geoff Moss and Ian Roberts sold the ground to the Glyndwr University.

It has now advertised for a stadium development director to bring in the funds to help redevelop the ground, with the initial focus being on an upgrade of The Kop to include more conference facilities and shops. The Kop had previously been due to be demolished under the student village plans.

Lynda Powell, the university’s director of campus management and commercial services, said: “Since acquiring the stadium in August 2011, the university has been developing a long-term vision for its future.

“We want to see the Glyndwr University Racecourse Stadium brought up to the highest possible standard, and this appointment will be a vital part of that process.”

The ground is home both to Wrexham FC and the Crusaders rugby league side, and the ground will be used as one of the venues for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.

“With a number of other international fixtures on the way, we have made fantastic progress,” said Powell. “What we need now is a figure to lead us on to the next step, securing the funding and support to make the stadium a beacon of sporting excellence in North Wales.

“The candidate we are looking for will need to have experience of working with key sporting bodies, of managing major projects and of identifying funding.

“This is an exciting time for the Glyndwr University Racecourse Stadium and we want to capitalise on the momentum we currently have to secure the long-term future of world-class sport at the oldest active international football ground in the world.”