Latest news with #STōKCaeRas
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Wales' top 2025 pick for tourists wouldn't have featured in many travel guides a few years ago
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Tourism chiefs in Wales have published their top 25 places and events to visit in 2025 – and the number one pick is one that wouldn't have appeared in many travel guides just a few years ago. Heading the list, reflecting its recent change in fortunes, is Wrexham AFC's football stadium. The world's oldest international football venue, now called STōK Cae Ras, is currently bracing for the return of second-tier football for the first time in 43 years. It's home to Wrexham AFC, whose fairytale journey from non-league to the Championship has been scattered with Hollywood stardust since the club's 2021 takeover by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Wrexham AFC's new-found global popularity was driven by the Disney+ 'Welcome to Wrexham' documentary series. Already it's had a major impact on tourism with visitors from Asia, Australia, North and South America visiting the city to experience the club's history, stadium, pubs and culture. Wrexham has since seen a reported 20% year-on-year increase in visitors. It's prompted the UK Parliament's Welsh Affairs Committee to launch an inquiry into the 'Ryan and Rob effect' – to find measures that could replicate Wrexham AFC's success on the international stage In an update of its '25 in 25' campaign, STōK Cae Ras (Cae Ras is Welsh for 'Racecourse') is now the number one pick of Visit Wales, the Welsh Government's tourism arm. Previously, its top suggestion was a visit to one of the World Heritage castles in Conwy, Caernarfon, Beaumaris and Harlech. Visit Wales said: 'You've seen the documentary, now visit the home of the world's third oldest football club. We can't guarantee you'll bump into Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, but the town has newly become a city – one more reason to have your own Welcome to Wrexham. 'Visit Wrexham Racecourse – the stadium home to Wrexham AFC – for a night game. With the floodlights flickering into action and the anticipation building under the cover of darkness, there's a magical air to these matches.' Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now (Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.) On Tripadvisor, STōK Cae Ras attracts mixed reviews. Many visitors – especially from overseas – love the historic site's authenticity, with a Philadelphia couple declaring themselves 'huge fans' of Wrexham AFC. 'We watch every game through National League TV from the States,' they wrote. 'We were not able to tour the grounds, however we went to the club store and met all the wonderful people working there. We were also lucky enough to bump into super Paul Mullin!!' However, not all visiting football fans are impressed with the facilities, noting how parts of the stadium are showing signs of age. A London visitor also believes an opportunity is being missed. 'I looked at this from outside but there was nothing interesting,' he said. 'Please have some story boards put up of Wrexham's history. Maybe even a statue of a famous player from the past. You don't feel like you are at a football club. This has so much history!' (Image: Wrexham AFC/Populous) Many of these concerns are being addressed. This month, the club submitted updated plans to Wrexham Council for its new Kop Stand. If approved, the stand will have a capacity of 7,750, bringing the stadium's capacity to around 18,000. Architects have designed the stand's roof to 'amplify' sound from home fans towards the pitch. Two dragons from the club's crest will be 'prominently embossed' on its brick façade, while a new public plaza will act as a fan space on match days. Planned on the plaza is a Gresford Colliery sister wheel in memory of the 261 miners who perished in the 1934 disaster. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox (Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire) Visit Wales' '25 in 2025' places and events to visit Wrexham Racecourse (STōK Cae Ras) Three Cliffs Bay, Gower Between the Trees Festival, Candleston Woods, Merthyr Mawr Llyn Padarn, Eryri (Snowdonia) Dolassey Farm's turf-roofed lodge accommodatyion, Powys Hot Air Balloon ride over Raglan Castle Llangrannog's sandy cove (Traeth y Pentref) Tenby, Pembrokeshire The Castles and Town Walls of Edward I (UNESCO World Heritage Site) Wye Valley Principality Stadium, Cardiff Pembrokeshire festivals –Westival music and arts festival, and Fforest Gather, Wales' smallest festival Steelhouse Festival, Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent Laugharne, Carmarthenshire - coastal town where Dylan Thomas lived, inspiring Under Milk Wood. Llangollen, home to the International Eisteddfodd festival Caernarfon Castle – Visit Wales says 'this gem deserves a spot in itself' Wild swimming at Keepers Pond, Blaenavon Michelin dining experience at Ynyshir, Machynlleth Sunflower fields at Rhossili Bay, Gower Peninsula The Hay Festival, literary festival in Hay-on-Wye, Powys The Coastal Way road trip – 180-mile route along Cardigan Bay from St Davids to the Llŷn Peninsula. Portmeirion, Italiante village near Porthmadog, Gwynedd Isle of Anglesey – explore its 'beautiful coastline and great forests' Zip World, North and South Wales Kayaking and swimming at the Blue Lagoon, Abereiddy, Pembrokeshire See what's on in your area
North Wales Live
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
Wales' top 2025 pick for tourists wouldn't have featured in many travel guides a few years ago
Tourism chiefs in Wales have published their top 25 places and events to visit in 2025 – and the number one pick is one that wouldn't have appeared in many travel guides just a few years ago. Heading the list, reflecting its recent change in fortunes, is Wrexham AFC's football stadium. The world's oldest international football venue, now called STōK Cae Ras, is currently bracing for the return of second-tier football for the first time in 43 years. It's home to Wrexham AFC, whose fairytale journey from non-league to the Championship has been scattered with Hollywood stardust since the club's 2021 takeover by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Wrexham AFC's new-found global popularity was driven by the Disney+ 'Welcome to Wrexham ' documentary series. Already it's had a major impact on tourism with visitors from Asia, Australia, North and South America visiting the city to experience the club's history, stadium, pubs and culture. Wrexham has since seen a reported 20% year-on-year increase in visitors. It's prompted the UK Parliament's Welsh Affairs Committee to launch an inquiry into the 'Ryan and Rob effect' – to find measures that could replicate Wrexham AFC's success on the international stage In an update of its '25 in 25' campaign, STōK Cae Ras (Cae Ras is Welsh for 'Racecourse') is now the number one pick of Visit Wales, the Welsh Government's tourism arm. Previously, its top suggestion was a visit to one of the World Heritage castles in Conwy, Caernarfon, Beaumaris and Harlech. Visit Wales said: 'You've seen the documentary, now visit the home of the world's third oldest football club. We can't guarantee you'll bump into Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, but the town has newly become a city – one more reason to have your own Welcome to Wrexham. 'Visit Wrexham Racecourse – the stadium home to Wrexham AFC – for a night game. With the floodlights flickering into action and the anticipation building under the cover of darkness, there's a magical air to these matches.' Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now On Tripadvisor, STōK Cae Ras attracts mixed reviews. Many visitors – especially from overseas – love the historic site's authenticity, with a Philadelphia couple declaring themselves 'huge fans' of Wrexham AFC. 'We watch every game through National League TV from the States,' they wrote. 'We were not able to tour the grounds, however we went to the club store and met all the wonderful people working there. We were also lucky enough to bump into super Paul Mullin!!' However, not all visiting football fans are impressed with the facilities, noting how parts of the stadium are showing signs of age. A London visitor also believes an opportunity is being missed. 'I looked at this from outside but there was nothing interesting,' he said. 'Please have some story boards put up of Wrexham's history. Maybe even a statue of a famous player from the past. You don't feel like you are at a football club. This has so much history!' Many of these concerns are being addressed. This month, the club submitted updated plans to Wrexham Council for its new Kop Stand. If approved, the stand will have a capacity of 7,750, bringing the stadium's capacity to around 18,000. Architects have designed the stand's roof to 'amplify' sound from home fans towards the pitch. Two dragons from the club's crest will be 'prominently embossed' on its brick façade, while a new public plaza will act as a fan space on match days. Planned on the plaza is a Gresford Colliery sister wheel in memory of the 261 miners who perished in the 1934 disaster. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Visit Wales' '25 in 2025' places and events to visit Wrexham Racecourse (STōK Cae Ras) Three Cliffs Bay, Gower Between the Trees Festival, Candleston Woods, Merthyr Mawr Llyn Padarn, Eryri (Snowdonia) Dolassey Farm's turf-roofed lodge accommodatyion, Powys Hot Air Balloon ride over Raglan Castle Llangrannog's sandy cove (Traeth y Pentref) Tenby, Pembrokeshire The Castles and Town Walls of Edward I (UNESCO World Heritage Site) Wye Valley Principality Stadium, Cardiff Pembrokeshire festivals –Westival music and arts festival, and Fforest Gather, Wales' smallest festival Steelhouse Festival, Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent Laugharne, Carmarthenshire - coastal town where Dylan Thomas lived, inspiring Under Milk Wood. Llangollen, home to the International Eisteddfodd festival Caernarfon Castle – Visit Wales says 'this gem deserves a spot in itself' Wild swimming at Keepers Pond, Blaenavon Michelin dining experience at Ynyshir, Machynlleth Sunflower fields at Rhossili Bay, Gower Peninsula The Hay Festival, literary festival in Hay-on-Wye, Powys The Coastal Way road trip – 180-mile route along Cardigan Bay from St Davids to the Llŷn Peninsula. Portmeirion, Italiante village near Porthmadog, Gwynedd Isle of Anglesey – explore its 'beautiful coastline and great forests' Zip World, North and South Wales
The Sun
30-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Ambitious EFL club submit plans to add extra 2,250 seats in new stand boosting stadium capacity to 18,000
HIGH-FLYING Wrexham have submitted FURTHER plans to add an extra 2,250 seats to the club's newly approved Kop Stand. The latest submission to Wrexham Borough Council will take the potential capacity of the world's oldest international footie stadium 18,000. 5 5 5 A new Kop End has been in the works since Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney won promotion from the National League in 2022. Fast forward three years and Wrexham head into this season as a Championship club after becoming the first team to achieve back-to-back-to-back promotions up the EFL pyramid. The STōK Cae Ras Stadium, better known to fans as the Racecourse, with room for 12,600 people, has used temporary Kop End for the last two seasons. Wrexham Borough finally approved plans for a new £5,500-capacity Kop in March. But now a separate planning application has requested for 2,250 extra seats - taking the capacity up to 7,750. The additional seats are a second tier of seating that form a key part of the main structural integrity of the new stand, which could be up and running at the start of the 2026/2027 season. While the brick colour and textures are reminiscent of the historic Ruabon red brick from the local area and will look on to a public plaza. The updated drawings included the use of solar panels on the roof as a part of an overall sustainable approach. How Wrexham was transformed from crime-ridden hellhole to Welsh Hollywood as locals say 'next stop's the Premier League' For a 2026 unveiling to be possible, construction work will be ongoing throughout the upcoming season. The aim is for Wrexham's ground to host international matches once again. The new stand, along with other works planned at the stadium, will make Wrexham's ground fully compliant with Uefa category 4 stadium standards. That will allow it to host the European Under-19 Championship finals tournament in 2026 and other international events. Wrexham CEO, Michael Williamson, said: "When we submitted the revised designs the intention was always to future proof the stadium so that it could hold international matches for many years to come." The original standing Kop terrace was abandoned in 2007 and was unused until its demolition in January 2023. Work on the new stand was originally due to begin in 2023 but was delayed because of what the club called "additional complications". In January 2023, an application for UK government Levelling Up Fund money was rejected and delays to the Kop redevelopment were announced the following September, when Wrexham said funding for the project had not yet been finalised. Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson's next step is to do the business on the pitch and take the club to the glittery heights of Premier League football. SunSport exclusively revealed that the club are preparing to splash the cash on the field too, with the owners open to smashing their transfer record to sign Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich. The Red Dragons travel to freshly relegated Prem side Southampton on Saturday August 9, before hosting Championship regulars Hull City in the EFL Cup the following weekend. 5
Rhyl Journal
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward joins hometown club Wrexham
The 32-year-old, who was born in the Welsh city and came through the club's academy between 2007 and 2012, has joined on a free transfer after agreeing a two-year deal. Ward was a free agent following the expiry of his contract at Leicester and joins the club owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney following their promotion to the Championship. Wrexham in his veins and ice in his cold brew. Welcome back to the STōK Cae Ras, Danny Ward 🧤 🔴⚪ #WxmAFC — Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) July 1, 2025 He said: 'It's an exciting time and an amazing feeling to be back at the club. 'I'm forever grateful for the opportunity that the club gave me at an early age and I hope I can repay that.' The Wales international, who has won 44 caps, joined Wrexham a a 14-year-old but never featured for the first team before being sold to Liverpool in 2012. He subsequently moved to Leicester in 2018, making 52 appearances in seven seasons before leaving this summer. Phil Parkinson's Wrexham are preparing for their first season back in the second tier since 1982 following a meteoric rise under A-list film stars Reynolds and McElhenney. Parkinson added: 'We're delighted to welcome Danny back to Wrexham. He's a keeper with a lot of experience and he's going to be a great addition to the squad.'
Leader Live
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward joins hometown club Wrexham
The 32-year-old, who was born in the Welsh city and came through the club's academy between 2007 and 2012, has joined on a free transfer after agreeing a two-year deal. Ward was a free agent following the expiry of his contract at Leicester and joins the club owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney following their promotion to the Championship. Wrexham in his veins and ice in his cold brew. Welcome back to the STōK Cae Ras, Danny Ward 🧤 🔴⚪ #WxmAFC — Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) July 1, 2025 He said: 'It's an exciting time and an amazing feeling to be back at the club. 'I'm forever grateful for the opportunity that the club gave me at an early age and I hope I can repay that.' The Wales international, who has won 44 caps, joined Wrexham a a 14-year-old but never featured for the first team before being sold to Liverpool in 2012. He subsequently moved to Leicester in 2018, making 52 appearances in seven seasons before leaving this summer. Phil Parkinson's Wrexham are preparing for their first season back in the second tier since 1982 following a meteoric rise under A-list film stars Reynolds and McElhenney. Parkinson added: 'We're delighted to welcome Danny back to Wrexham. He's a keeper with a lot of experience and he's going to be a great addition to the squad.'
