Racecourse Ground: Wrexham A.F.C
The Mold Road Stand and Kop - Markbarnes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Racecourse Ground in Wrexham is the oldest stadium in the world that hosts international football matches, having hosted its first Wales game in 1877. That might well have remained the main reason for anyone to ever know about Wrexham AFC, were it not for the decision of Hollywood stars Robert McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds to buy the club in 2020 and make a documentary series about it.
Formed in 1864, the Robins are the oldest football club in Wales and the third oldest in the world. Despite being so old, the club didn’t actually enter into league football until it joined The Combination in 1890. The club has won the Welsh Cup a record number of times, the Football League Trophy and the FA Trophy.
The stadium is currently known as STōK Cae Ras officially, for sponsorship reasons.
Stats
| Racecourse Ground Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1807 |
| Capacity | 12600 |
| Average Attendance | 10631 |
| Record Attendance | 34445 (Wrexham v Manchester United (1957)) |
| Pitch Size | 102 x 68 (6936) |
| Owner | Wrexham AFC |
| Sponsor | STōK |
| Clubs Hosted | Wrexham AFC, North Wales Crusaders, Liverpool Reserves, Scarlets rugby union club |
| First Fixture | Wrexham v Prince of Wales Fire Brigade (22nd October 1864) |
| Wrexham A.F.C Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1864 |
| Nickname | Red Dragons, The Robins |
| Club Mascot | Wrex the Dragon |
| Rivals | Chester, Shrewsbury Town, Tranmere Rovers, Crewe Alexandra, Cardiff City, Newport County and Swansea City |
| Previous Stadiums | Rhosddu Recreation Ground |
| Kit | Red & White (Home) / White & Green Stripe (Away) / Black (Third) |
| Training Ground | Nine Acre |
| Shirt Sponsor | United Airlines |
| Team Owner | Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds |
| Record Goalscorer | Tom Bamford (League) (175) |
| Record Appearances | Arfon Griffiths (592) |
Racecourse Ground Photos
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Racecourse Ground Seating Plan and Where to Sit
As you might expect for such an old stadium, the Racecourse is built in the classical style of having stands on each side of the pitch. The Wrexham Lager Stand is an all-seater one that boasts disabled facilities and runs along the side of the pitch, whilst the SToK Cold Brew Stand (or Tech End) is behind the goal and is where you’ll find the most vociferous home fans. The Macron Stand is also the stadium’s main stand, whilst the Kop is behind the other goal.
Wrexham A.F.C Ticket Prices
The price you’ll pay for tickets to a Wrexham match will depend on a number of factors, including where you sit and whether or not you get a concession. Presuming you’re an adult you’ll pay between £22 and £24, as a concession you will pay between £17 and £19.
Tickets are £1 more expensive if you buy them in person.
How To Get Wrexham A.F.C Tickets
Buying a ticket ahead of time is always recommended, with online being your best bet. You can also buy tickets from the club shop and you’ll pay less if you buy your ticket ahead of time rather than leaving it until the day of the game.
Where to Buy
Getting To Racecourse Ground
Train – Wrexham General Station can be found right next to the ground, so if you’re heading there by train then that’s where to aim for.
Bus – The main bus station in the centre of Wrexham is about half a mile from the ground. Any bus that comes into the town from outside will stop there, so once you’ve disembarked you need to head towards the multi-storey car park and then turn right onto Mold Road. Alternatively, the 12A, 21 and PC2 all stop by the stadium.
Car – The A483 that runs between Chester or Oswestry and Wrexham is the road to take, coming off it at the Mold junction. Follow the signs for the town centre and you’ll see the Racecourse Ground along the way.
By Air – Liverpool John Lennon Airport is the closest to Wrexham, being a little over twenty miles away. Manchester Airport is next on the list but is closes to forty miles away from the Welsh town.
Taxi – A taxi from the centre of Wrexham out to the Racecourse Ground will cost you about £8. Depending on traffic, the journey should only take about five minutes.
Parking Near Racecourse Ground
Glyndwr University is located right next to the Racecourse Ground and offers parking for people going to the match. It’s only a short walk from there to the turnstiles.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Racecourse Ground Hotels
Wrexham is a pretty little town that attracts a fair amount of tourism, especially since the documentary, so it is used to welcoming visitors.
Wynnstay Arms - £80+
Ramada Plaza - £115+
Rossett Hall Hotel - £160+
Pubs and Bars Near Racecourse Ground
You’re never too far from a pub in Wales, and even though Wrexham is on the border, that is definitely still true. Here are our top picks:
The Long Pull
Welch Fusilier
The Turf Hotel
Facilities
Facilities at the Racecourse Ground are what one might expect for a lower tier club, though it has undergone some refurbishments in recent years since the Hollywood takeover, so it’s much more comfortable than it used to be.
Prices
- Programme: £3.5
- Pie: £2.8
- Cup of tea: £2
- Beer: £4
Hospitality
There are a number of hospitality options at the Racecourse Ground, including the Bamford Suite, the 1864 Suite and executive boxes. They all offer slightly different experiences but it’s always some mix of food, drink, and better seating, with perhaps a few meet and greets included.
Private Hire
If you’re interested in hiring some of the facilities at the Racecourse Ground then your best bet is to contact the club directly. They might be busy filming what with the documentary series becoming so successful.
Stadium Tours & Museum
In many ways, the Racecourse Ground is its own museum. In 2019 there were plans to open a new footballing museum in the town, but the stadium was not chosen as its location. They do run tours though, costing £10 or £5 depending whether you are an adult or a concession/child, although there are only a few each month.
Alternatively, you could book onto a Welcome to Wrexham tour. They take all day and are not organised by the club, but the stadium is obviously one of the key stops along the way.
About Wrexham A.F.C
Wrexham Association Football Club, or Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Wrecsam to give it its proper Welsh name, was founded in 1864 in order to give members of Wrexham Cricket Club an activity to keep them fit and active during the winter. The club played its first game on the 22nd of October that year against the Prince Of Wales Fire Brigade. When the Welsh Cup was created for the 1877-1878 campaign, Wrexham made the final and defeated Druids FC 1-0, becoming the competition’s inaugural champions. At the time, the Welsh club mainly played friendlies and cup tournaments, not becoming a league club until they joined The Combination in 1890.
Life in the league didn’t get off to a particularly auspicious start for Wrexham, losing 5-1 to Gorton Villa. It was a sign of things to come, with the Welsh club only really enjoying league success when playing in the Welsh League to smaller crowds. Arguably the most exciting thing to happen to Wrexham from a footballing point of view came in 1972 when the team travelled to Switzerland to play FC Zurich in the European Cup Winners’ Cup. They won 3-2 on aggregate, eventually losing to Yugoslavian side Hajduk Split on the away goals rule in the next round.
Having endured many ups and downs across the years, few could have imagined being taken over by Hollywood stars as happened in November of 2020. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney not only took ownership, but filmed a documentary about their journey which became a smash hit on streaming platforms, catapulting the club to unprecedented levels of fame and gaining them fans all over the world.
Racecourse Ground History
The Racecourse Ground is steeped in history, thanks to the fact that it is the oldest international football stadium that still hosts matches. Wrexham AFC moved into the stadium as soon as the club was formed in October of 1864, playing there ever since apart from in the 1881-1882 and 1882-1883 seasons. At that time, the owners of the Racecourse Ground put the rental price up and to the club moved out. It gets its name from the fact that it was occasionally used for horse racing, with cricket also played there on a regular basis prior to the football club moving in. The stadium enjoyed its largest ever attendance in 1957 when 34,445 supporters turned up to watch Wrexham play Manchester United in the FA Cup.
As well as international football, the Racecourse Ground has also witnessed Champions League football, such as when TNS hosted Liverpool in a qualifier in 2005. It’s international football that allows it to hold its place in the record books, however. The ground was used to host Wales’ first international match in 1877, going on to host more Wales matches than any other stadium. Given that it’s the largest stadium in the north of Wales and the fifth largest in the country, it’s hardly a surprise that it’s used for big matches from time to time. It’s also used by teams other than the Welsh national side and Wrexham, with Liverpool occasionally hosting reserve matches there. In addition, both North Wales Crusaders rugby league club, and Scarlets rugby union club have used it in the past.
Future Developments
There were already works taking place at the Racecourse Ground before Wrexham was bought by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, with the Kop undergoing major reconstruction work, ready for the 24/25 season. Despite the club’s success though, they aren’t making any money, and red tape plus other issues have meant the new Kop stand will not be ready on time. Worse still, there is no clarity on when it will be built or how they will pay for it.