Wrexham Unveils Plans for New Kop Stand at STōK Cae Ras Stadium

Wrexham AFC has unveiled plans for a permanent 5,500-seat Kop Stand at the club’s STōK Cae Ras stadium, including a provision for a safe standing area.

The new Kop Stand would be designed with a roof to amplify sound from the spectators towards the pitch. The new stand would allow the STōK Cae Ras Stadium to host the UEFA European Under-19 Championship final tournament matches in 2026 and other international matches in the future.

“The new Kop Stand marks a special moment in the history of the STōK Cae Ras, allowing us to restore the traditional four-sided enclosure of the stadium, providing new and improved facilities and experiences for our fans and visitors to the stadium alike,” said Michael Williamson, Wrexham AFC chief executive officer.

The STōK Cae Ras is the world’s oldest international football stadium still in continuous use, having hosted Wales’ first international home game against Scotland on March 5, 1877. Wrexham played their first match at the ground in October 1864.

At the rear, an external brick facade pays homage to the city’s “Terracottapolis” nickname and the brick color and textures are reminiscent of Ruabon red brick from the local area. The rear of the stand looks onto a public plaza that will act as a fan space on match day and a community space and public area throughout the year and include the positioning of the sister wheel of the Gresford Colliery wheel in remembrance of the miners who died in Wrexham’s 1934 mining disaster.

The inclusion of player and officials’ facilities within the new stand allows fans to welcome the team onto the pitch through a player tunnel in the stand. Wrexham, currently third in the League One standings, is chasing its third straight promotion.

“We have designed the new Kop Stand to be both authentic and unique in its approach to hosting Wrexham’s passionate fans,” said Declan Sharkey, global director and senior principal at Populous. “To do that we involved our team of audio consultants to maximize atmosphere, while the physical design of the façade at the back of the stand takes inspiration from the local brickwork and the city’s ‘Terracottapolis’ nickname, to link it to the generations of fans that have visited the ground in the past.”