21 December 2023 , 23:39
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Wrexham's Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been delivered a Christmas boost in the form of the council granting the opening of their new temporary stand.
After complications with the construction of a new Kop stand ruined their promise of it being ready for the start of next season, Wrexham turned to the idea of building a temporary end. But the club were unsure if they'd be able to deliver on a promise to construct that by Dec. 23 too.
Wrexham shared on Wednesday that hurdles still needed to be cleared, including the acquisition of a license from authorities to sell tickets for their temporary seating stand at the Racecourse. Troublingly, they were also unaware of a timeframe to make it happen, potentially further delaying their second promise for stadium upgrades by the aforementioned date..
On Thursday, however, Wrexham took to social media to confirm that they have acquired the license to sell tickets for the temporary stand, which will hold 2,289 fans. As promised, the stand will be ready to seat fans for Saturday's clash against Newport Country, but at 80 percent capacity.
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"Wrexham AFC are pleased to confirm we have received council approval for the temporary stand on The Kop, which will be open at 80% capacity for Saturday's game against Newport County. Tickets will be available to buy online, for members only, from 4pm today," read the tweet.
Wrexham fans were impressed that the co-owners could deliver on their promise, as they expressed their gratitude for the seating on social media. The fans initially seemed skeptical that the club would be able to pull it off in time, as Reynolds and McElhenney failed to deliver on the initial promise of having all new stands by next season.
One fan wrote: "The council is pulling strings for the club. Mind-blowing stuff. Great news." Another replied saying, "Incredible effort this. Well done to everyone who's made it possible. Kopites are back." More excited Wrexham fans chimed in with one writing: "That's great, congrats! Should help fund a competitive club at the next level!" Another Wrexham fan said: "Terrific effort to get this sorted in such a short space of time."
Wrexhams temporary stand will be open for the Newport County game (PHIL MINGO/PPAUK/REX/Shutterstock)Wrexham originally wanted the temporary stand ready for the League 2 clash against Notts County during the last week of October. This came after Reynolds and McElhenney initially promised a brand-new Kop stand by the start of the next season.
Reynolds and McElhenney hit a block with their first promise of a due to issues with Buckingham Construction Group, the company they hired for the job. The group, who also worked on Liverpool's Anfield Stadium, had to halt work quickly after losing many contracts, causing financial suffering.
In a statement that also addressed Kop Stand developments, Wrexham said: "We are making good progress resolving the outstanding matters before the Kop Development can commence, but with a minimum of three months mobilization period before work can start on site, we can now install a temporary stand without negatively impacting the construction program for the Kop."
"The costs of the temporary stand will be greater than generated from ticket sales, but the Board felt the priority was to enable more fans to see the team live and address the frustration some felt that they can't get game tickets. The temporary stand will be priced at £20 for adults, £15 for Over-65s/Under-21s, £9 for Under-18s and £6 for Under-11s."