Stadium
The Racecourse is situated on the Mold Road, which is the main road heading into Wrexham, and is opposite the residential area of Maesgwyn, next to Glyndŵr University; who owns the freehold to the stadium and have added their name to it.
According to the Guinness book of records, the Racecourse Ground is the oldest international football stadium in the world that is still in use, albeit at present for under-21 internationals. It was the venue when Wales famously beat England 4–1 in the Home Nations Tournament. The Wrexham first team play their home fixtures in all competitions at the Racecourse. The Racecourse presently has a capacity of approximately 10,500 all-seated, making it the third-largest stadium in the Conference National. Construction of the proposed new Kop stand is yet to commence, but it shall significantly further increase the capacity of the stadium.
The Racecourse has been used by other teams such as Bangor City for their qualifying matches in the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League, which they qualify for through the Welsh Premier League and the Welsh Cup. It was the venue for the Bangor City vs FC Midtjylland match in 2008, which resulted in a 6–1 victory for the Danish team. Cefn Druids played their first ever Europa Cup match on the ground in July 2012 – a scoreless draw with Finnish side MyPa.
The Racecourse is made up of four stands, one of which, the terraced Kop, is closed as it is awaiting demolition following a failed health & safety test in 2008. The Kop stand is located behind the goal at the 'town end' of the ground. Behind the Kop there will be multi-story flats which will provide accommodation to the University next door. The Eric Roberts Stand, named after a local builder, is located behind the goal nearest to the A483. It was traditionally used by away fans, in-order to implement crowd segregation for football matches; is said by many visiting fans to have one of the best views of action in all of the lower leagues. From the 2008–2009 season, away fans have been allocated 600 seats in the Yale stand, and the Eric Roberts stand has been allocated to the home fans, where it is home to the 12th Man supporters group. It is where the majority of Wrexham fans display their own Wrexham and Welsh Flags, and it is known to be the most atmospheric part of the ground. The Yale Stand houses the directors box, changing rooms and club offices, and is located behind the dugout. It is seen by many as the family stand and has a capacity of 4,500. The Mold Road Stand built in 1999 (formerly Pryce Griffiths Stand), is the most notable stand to most away fans, because of the unusual shape of the cantilever roof. It has a capacity of 3,500.
The Racecourse is not only used for footballing purposes, as the Crusaders Rugby League side use the Racecourse Ground for their Rugby League Championship home games. In the past the Llanelli Scarlets Rugby Union side have played home games in the historical stadium.
Read more about this topic: Wrexham F.C.
Famous quotes containing the word stadium:
“In their eyes I have seen
the pin men of madness in marathon trim
race round the track of the stadium pupil.”
—Patricia K. Page (b. 1916)
“It’s no accident that of all the monuments left of the Greco- Roman culture the biggest is the ballpark, the Colosseum, the Yankee Stadium of ancient times.”
—Walter Wellesley (Red)
“The final upshot of thinking is the exercise of volition, and of this thought no longer forms a part; but belief is only a stadium of mental action, an effect upon our nature due to thought, which will influence future thinking.”
—Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914)