Wrexham Take Huge Step Toward New Training Facility

The Red Dragons aim to have the new facility ready for use by next season.

Wrexham have taken a positive step towards their new training facility. | Steve Christo - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Wrexham have submitted plans for the installation of a men’s first-team building at Colliers Park.

The Red Dragons are currently based at Colliers Park, a training facility owned by Wrexham University and operated under a long-term lease by the Football Association of Wales as the National Football Development Centre.

At present, Wrexham’s men’s first team uses the facility only for training and must return to the Racecourse Ground for gym work, injury rehabilitation, dressing rooms, and dining. The proposal calls for the installation of a purpose-built Training Pavilion that would provide a self-contained training environment on a single site.

A club statement released on Monday confirmed that, “Following the completion of a month-long consultation process, the planning application has now been submitted for the installation of the men’s first-team building at Colliers Park for consideration by Wrexham Council.”

Work to install the modular units is expected to begin later this week, with the Red Dragons aiming to have the new facility operational for the 2026–27 season.

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Wrexham Still Aim to Build New Training Ground

Wrexham sold Colliers Park to Wrexham University in 2011. | Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images

While the proposed development represents a significant step forward, Wrexham remain committed to building their own training ground. However, club officials acknowledge that the process could take up to five years to complete.

Not only must the club identify suitable land capable of accommodating facilities that match its Premier League ambitions, but it must also undertake a range of feasibility studies and assessments before construction can begin.

Colliers Park served as Wrexham’s former training ground and was built in 1997 at a cost of approximately $1 million. It was widely regarded as one of the best facilities outside the Premier League and was even used by Barcelona during visits to England for European matches.

Due to financial difficulties, the Red Dragons sold both their training ground and stadium to Wrexham University in 2011, although they retained a license to use the facilities for an annual fee. Wrexham later signed a new 99-year lease on the Racecourse Ground in 2016 before repurchasing the stadium in June 2022.

The planning application will give Wrexham greater flexibility at Colliers Park, but it does not diminish the club’s long-term ambition of developing a bespoke training site for use across the organization.

Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds have Premier League aspirations. | Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images

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“The training facilities are clearly an important one,” Wrexham CEO Michael Williamson said. “However, it’s also a complicated one where we have to find land. We’ve been looking at different parcels of land, but once you identify a site, you need to conduct soil samples, master planning, and feasibility studies.

“And ultimately, if you find something, you need to reach an agreement, purchase it, or secure a long-term lease. Then you have to go through the development process. This is going to be a three-to-five-year process to create a training facility that meets both where we want to be and where we need to be.

“So in the interim, we have Colliers. There are two great pitches there that we have access to right now. We worked with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) to help invest in the second pitch, so they now have two stitched pitches there, and we have a stitched pitch here at the Racecourse. All three have the same playing surface.

“We’re having conversations with the FAW about how we can make greater use of Colliers Park in the short term. And when I say short term, I mean the next three to five years, to ensure we can meet the needs of what we would expect from a Championship-level squad.”

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