Wrexham CEO Reveals When New $95 Million Kop Stand Will Be Finished

The Red Dragons have officially committed to a deadline for the Kop Stand.

It is still over a year before Wrexham anticipate the stand to be fully open. | RobRyanRed Podcast

Wrexham chief executive Mike Williamson says the club’s new Kop Stand is scheduled to be fully operational for the start of the 2027–28 season.

The new 5,500-seat Kop Stand will restore the Racecourse Ground to a four-sided stadium and could increase the overall capacity to just over 18,000 if a separate planning application to expand the stand to 7,500 seats is approved.

The overall cost of the stand is expected to reach roughly $95 million, with Wrexham contributing $67.62 million. The Red Dragons have already secured a controversial $23.46 million grant from the Welsh government, which will help the club meet the UEFA Category 4 criteria required to bring competitive men’s international matches back to Wrexham.

Wrexham still hope the stand will be open in a limited capacity during the final months of the upcoming 2026–27 season, although it is expected to be another year before the new Kop Stand is fully completed.

“The plan is that the Kop will be open and fully operational in that August period for the 2027–28 season,” Williamson told The Leader.

“We are working diligently with the city as well as the contractors to see if, even with a minimal number of seats, we can open it without the full range of services or amenities the Kop will eventually have, but still provide seats for people to use during matches as soon as possible.

“If we’re fortunate, maybe that’s something that could happen in the February, March or April period, which could be very important and beneficial for the club if we’re making a push for the playoffs, allowing even a few hundred up to 1,000 supporters to use those seats. But that’s still not a guarantee—we’re continuing to work through it.

“That’s what we hope to achieve, and that’s what we’re working toward. Ultimately, though, we need to balance that with ensuring it doesn’t affect our ability to fully open in August 2027.

“That’s the more important milestone in the project. We need to make sure it is fully operational and running on all cylinders for the start of that season.

“But if we’re able to do that while also opening a few seats from match to match, then we’ll certainly look to make that happen.”

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Wrexham Kop Stand Gathering Pace

The 5,500-capacity new Kop Stand includes the provision for safe standing, hospitality and accessible seating. | Populous

Wrexham supporters will have noticed construction of the new Kop Stand gathering pace as work continues throughout the summer.

Current work is focused on assembling the frame of the new stand, with crews constructing the skeleton of the upper tier before turning their attention to the lower tier.

Staircase work in both cores has now been completed, while the installation of precast terracing is set to continue over the coming weeks.

Several thousand supporters got a closer look at the “imposing” new structure over the weekend as Wales lost to Spain in the opening match of the UEFA Men’s Under-19 Championship at the Racecourse Ground.

Although construction is still in its early stages, it is already clear just how large the structure will be, with the new Kop Stand set to tower over the rest of the stadium at roughly twice the height of any other stand.

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