Protect The Racecourse

Home and Away

2011-06-28T09:23:00.002+01:00

The great thing about the Racecourse ground is it is loved far and wide. Even those who go home well beaten love it. Here are Cheltenham FC fans enjoying there day out in 1983.

We did it.

2011-06-18T22:05:00.002+01:00

10,564 !

incredible, memorable, stunning, inspiring, humbling....

what a journey,

The Racecourse ground is officially full to capacity. Petitioners signing the LDP petition are now being asked to stand on the beloved Kop, still closed pending Wrexham Villages' sparkling rennovation promises.

We hear great tidings of joy - the Wrexham supporters trust are close to securing the purchase of the Football Club, the Racecourse ground and colliers park. The community of Wrexham will never be the same and it is they more than any other stakeholder who have sustained the club for so many generations.

We hear news of fans walking up a famous Welsh mountain to secure the club.

Protect The Racecourse feels very proud to be amongst such gallant brethren.

Cae Ras am byth !

PETITION STILL GOING!

2010-02-21T15:42:00.000Z

We may have achieved our aim to Protect The Racecourse in the LDP, but it would be a shame to give up now!

We still want 10,500 signatures - to match the capacity of the Racecourse - and we're nearly there.

So get your mates, family, associates, acquaintances, random strangers whoever to sign the petition now!

Sign it here.

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MEDIA RESPONSE: VICTORY! THE RACECOURSE IS PROTECTED

2010-02-21T15:33:00.002Z

Well, I'm sure all you Wrexham peeps will be aware now that the Protect The Racecourse petition has succeeded in protecting the world's oldest International football stadium!

A big thank you to everybody who has supported our campaign and who signed our petition. This couldn't have been done without the help and support of a lot of Wrexham supporters, local people and football fans from across the world. Well done!

This is the Daily Post article - and I think we should all recognise the fantastic work the Post has done recently for Wrexham Supporters:

Wrexham FC's Racecourse Ground to be protected

Steve Bagnall

WREXHAM'S historic Racecourse Ground took a major step forward today to being protected from development.

At a special planning committee meeting councillors recommended the stadium should be safeguarded as a site for sport.

The historic Mold Road ground is joined by three other local sports stadia Queensway, North Wales Tennis Centre, and Bangor on Dee Racecourse as protected sites.

The recommendations of the special planning committee will now got to Wrexham's executive board and the full council for rubber stamping before going to the Welsh Assembly Government for final approval.

And the Leader article:

Future of Wrexham FC's Racecourse ground is safeguarded

Phil Robinson

THE future of Wrexham FC's Racecourse ground has been safeguarded.

Wrexham Council has supported fans' pleas to have The Racecourse formally protected for leisure use in its long-term planning blueprint.

About 9,000 people - including some from as far away as Australia and Canada - have so far signed a petition started by the Red Passion website to have the Mold Road stadium officially safeguarded in the Local Development Plan (LDP).

The LDP suggests the area’s sub-regional sports stadia should be protected from any development which would result in the loss of all or part of the principal use of the sites.

However, although it states in the preamble that protection should extend to The Racecourse - along with Wrexham Tennis Centre, Queensway athletics stadium and Bangor-on-Dee racecourse - it does not name any of them in the main body of the plan.

At a planning committee meeting today (Tuesday, February 16), Brynyffynnon councillor Phil Wynn proposed this loophole should be closed and The Racecourse to be named specifically.

This was approved and a recommendation will now be made to the council’s executive board that the amendment is added to the plan’s final draft.

After six weeks of public consultation the final word on the plan will rest with a Welsh Assembly Government inspector.

One of the petition’s organisers, Toby Clarke, said: “On behalf of the 9,000 people who have so far signed the petition I am delighted at this development.

“It is Red Passion’s belief that the Racecourse should be protected as an important facility for the whole community.

“I am sure famous players from Wrexham’s past would also be very pleased that it will now be formally safeguarded in the LDP.”

Hadyn Taylor, a spokesman for Wrexham Supporters’ Trust, said: “The trust has always backed the Red Passion petition and we are very happy that Phil Wynn was able to get this measure of protection approved by the committee.”

MEDIA RESPONSE: 8,000 SIGN PETITION TO SAVE WREXHAM FC'S RACECOURSE

2009-11-13T12:30:00.000Z

From the Daily Post:

A PETITION to save Wrexham FC’s historic Racecourse ground has netted more than 8,000 signatures.

But organisers only have until next Spring to reach their target of 10,500 supporters.

The numbers rose above 8,300 as organisers of the Red Passion website met with local MP Ian Lucas in Westminster this week.

Mr Lucas joined their campaign, geared towards making sure the stadium is specifically identified by Wrexham County Council as an area to be used only for leisure, before the county’s LDP (Local Development Plan) is drawn up early next year.

Council chiefs vowed to take their petition on board when drawing-up the LDP, as supporters want assurances the ground will never be demolished in favour of an alternative development.

Petition organisers argue that if the Racecourse was lost it would have a huge impact on the town.

One of the authors told the Daily Post: “Our target is 10,500 signatures, which is the current reduced capacity of the Racecourse ground while the Kop end is closed due to the student housing development.

“The petition currently totals 8,347 signatures, and that includes ex-players from Wrexham FC and football fans from the UK and abroad.”

He added: “Sadly the football club have appeared keen to distance themselves from the petition and have declined our invitations to support it or comment on it publicly.”

Mr Lucas reinforced their appeal, adding: “One of the main things people associate with Wrexham is its football team and the Racecourse stadium – it really is known around the world.

“That’s why I am delighted to back what is a grassroots fans’ campaign. I am also hoping to encourage other MPs to add their backing to the campaign.”

Their concerns came as we reported yesterday how the £40m Wrexham Village development, which now owns the club, is on course to be built by next July.

Meanwhile, Wrexham council revealed how the emerging Wrexham Local Development Plan (LDP) will eventually replace the current Wrexham Unitary Development Plan (UDP) and become the key framework for future development in the county.

They said the current adopted UDP does not contain a policy specifically referring to the Racecourse by name, but does contain general policies to protect all important community facilities, including sports grounds, which are applicable to the Racecourse.

A planning spokesman told the petition organisers they will bring their grievances to the attention of the Planning Policy Panel, overseeing the preparation of the LDP.

If the plan does not provide the Racecourse ground with the level of protection fans think is appropriate they will have the opportunity to submit a formal objection during the six week statutory consultation period.

Lawrence Isted, Chief Planning Officer, added: “The council fully appreciates the strong feelings among many people in Wrexham regarding the future of the Racecourse and we will give the matter careful consideration in the deliberations on the LDP.”

Nobody from Wrexham FC was available at the time of going to press, and on previous occasions when asked for a stance on the petition they have said they wished to make no comment on the matter.

To sign the petition visit www.redpassion.co.uk

MEDIA RESPONSE: MP BACKS BID TO PROTECT WREXHAM'S RACECOURSE GROUND

2009-11-12T23:43:00.003Z

From the Leader:

WREXHAM MP Ian Lucas has added his backing to a campaign by Wrexham fans to protect The Racecourse.

Mr Lucas is to sign a petition calling for the ground to be safeguarded as part of Wrexham Council’s local development plan.

Organisers of the petition set a target of 10,500 signatures – one name for every seat in the stadium – and so far it has rattled up a total in excess of 8,300 names.

The petition – set up by Wrexham supporters on the RedPassion website – asks for The Racecourse to be “clearly identified in the LDP as an area which is protected and reserved for leisure activities, in particular in its role as the football stadium in North Wales for hosting international sporting events and major cultural programmes.”

Mr Lucas said: “The Racecourse is a historic venue and has been used as a stadium since 1877.

“When I explain that I am Wrexham’s MP, one of the main things people associate with the town is its football team and The Racecourse – it really is known around the world.

“That is why I am delighted to back what is a grassroots fans’ campaign, and to encourage other supporters of Wrexham FC to sign this petition.

“I am also hoping to encourage other Members of Parliament to add their backing to the campaign.

“While the team itself may have its ups and downs, ensuring it remains at The Racecourse is vital.”

The petition is available to sign at www.petitiononline.com/LDPWFC21/petition.html.

The chairman of Wrexham FC has had his say about the possibility of the club’s training facilities being used by an international football team as part of the 2012 Olympics.

Geoff Moss said proposals are being drawn up involving Wrexham Council where the football club and Glyndwr University could play a part in helping visiting Olympians prepare themselves for competition at the highest level.

If the plans come to fruition it could mean Colliers Park training ground in Gresford, the Racecourse, as well as facilities such as the student accommodation being built at Glyndwr University would be utilised by the athletes.

Mr Moss said: “This is a very exciting proposal and it would be a huge honour for the area if it gets the go-ahead.

“There is work which has to be completed before then and we need as much support as possible.”

THIS IS THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT

2009-10-25T14:56:00.001Z

The petition continues to go from strength to strength, as we now sit proudly at 8,199 names - only 2,301 short of our overall target of 10,500.

Credit for this must go to El Poncho, who has driven this campaign forward with the gritty determination of oxen on amphetamine. Bravo!

That is not to neglect, of course, the support we have had from fellow Town fans and from the wider football world. Astounding. Football may be tribal, and therefore often divisive, yet we see, time and time again, football fans standing shoulder to shoulder on issues which transcend our rivalries. We may have witnessed such solidarity before but it never fails to be humbling.

We must reach our target. Can I ask for anybody who hasn't signed the petition yet to do so now, and if you have - ask your mates, family, neighbours, workmates, random people in the street. Anybody with a name, basically.

The petition is here.

One group of people from whom we've felt support has been lacking has been our elected representatives - our councillors, our Assembly Members, our Members of Parliament. Why they have been reluctant to come out in defense of the real jewel in the crown of our humble little town, we do not know.

There are one or two notable exceptions, and we will give the others a little more time to respond before we let our fellow Fanistas know who has helped and who hasn't, but I will take this opportunity to remind our politicians of this - the football club is, in many people's eyes, the town. Supporters' loyalty to their club is unswerving and paramount; they will remember who has supported this campaign, and who hasn't, come polling day.

Just ask Dr John Marek.

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THE BOOK OF REVELATIONS

2009-10-23T21:26:00.002Z

With thanks to Twitter's Flock Follower for the above information. You can view a copy of the above here.

This document appears to show the sale of the whole or part of the Racecourse to Wrexham Village Ltd, a property development company.

Answers on a postcard.

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BEFORE THE DARK HOUR OF REASON GROWS

2009-10-23T18:40:00.004Z

Brothers and sisters, as you will be aware, the collective is fond of a wee bit of poetry, and we recently implored the masses to send us their creative babies.

Senor Poncho of Red Passion fame has spoken to his close personal friend Sir John Betjemen, who has kindly penned this wonderful ditty. Sir John and Baron Ponch, we salute you.

A Racecourse Love Song by Sir John Betjeman

My Racecourse, My Racecourse,
Furnish'd and burnish'd by the Wrexham roar,
What magnificent matches you housed before tea,
We in the terraces – peering to see!

Two-thirty, Four-forty, oh! weakness of joys,
The speed of a cross, the catch of ball boys,
With dazzling comradeship, gaily we won,
We weak from your loveliness, our beloved Racecourse sun

Your convivial turnstiles shimmer we walk,
And swing past the turf, buried in talk,
And gate of the Kop that welcomes us in
The six-o'six show and pints when we win.

The glint of your memories, sound of the crowd,
The view from each spot is ever so proud,
Everlasting belches over chips and pie, oh! eye
As we dance in the Cent, and light up the sky!

My Racecourse, My Racecourse
A glimpse from the hills your charming red hue,
Oh! Shankly standing and applauding you!
Oh! Arsenal’s one, and our triumphant two!

Around us the Robins and Dragons are set,
And Psycho soars through the roof of your net,
And here in my sight is the ‘Course of my choice,
With the tilt of your stanchions and the chime of your voice.

My Racecourse, My Racecourse we’re not letting you go !
You’ve been slung like confetti and pushed to and fro
How sad are we, they don't give a toss
And leave your kop end covered by moss

And the keen reminisces and words never spoken
And the ever present ritual and songs our love token
We sit in your shadow prolonging the fun
My Racecourse, My Racecourse let the battle be won!

CLEARLY REDUNDANT

2009-10-21T19:22:00.008Z

"Clearly redundant".

A strange turn of phrase. What does it mean?

“Development which adversely affects the continued use and development of County-wide and sub-regional indoor or outdoor leisure facilities and sports stadia is not permitted. Enhancement of such facilities is supported provided there is no significant adverse effect on local residential amenity by virtue of noise, floodlighting, car parking, traffic generation or other disturbance."

“The Council’s policy emphasises that their use should be maximised and that change of use or redevelopment of such facilities will be resisted unless they are clearly redundant or their continued use and development would create environmental damage. On the other hand, the enhancement of such facilities is supported provided there are no significant adverse effects on local residential amenity by virtue of noise, floodlighting, car parking, traffic generation, or other disturbance.”

So if the club's owners, whoever that may be, were to move the club out of the stadium prior to applying for planning permission for, let us say, a giant B&Q, then the world famous Racecourse Ground would be redundant, no? Or, perhaps, if the club was to cease to exist altogether...

Yes, a very strange turn of phrase indeed.

If anybody out there is familiar with planning legalese, then please do let us know your thoughts.

You can email us at ProtectTheRacecourse@googlemail.com or you can post in the comments section below.

Before we're all left feeling completely redundant.

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RAGE RAGE AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT

2009-10-18T21:05:00.012Z

Following a series of top-level secret meetings in the bunker, the collective have unanimously agreed to invite submissions from our vast readership, which we understand amounts to literally billions of people.

The meetings were intense and emotions were fraught. Without the aid of Red Bull, ephedrine, and a shopping trolley full of stolen Wotsits and Wagon Wheels, I don't think we'd have made it through. Tough times.

Anyway, we implore - nay, beg - our fellow aficionados to submit articles for publication. You can submit prose detailing your favourite Racecourse memories; humorous anecdotes of days gone by; poems; haiku; manifestos for change. Anything really. We're not fussy.

Besides, we could do with a little culture on this rather tawdry and down-market blog.

So, comrades, if any of you feel like penning a few words in homage to the Racecourse, please email us your creative babies at ProtectTheRacecourse@googlemail.com.

To get you in the mood, reproduced below is a short piece from some pompous old windbag on Red Passion. Strikes me as a blatant rip-off of the rhythms and style of Sir Tommy but I'm sure the tosser who wrote it will claim he was merely 'inspired' by the great man. I did say we're not fussy.

It was a winter night

On my way to the 'course

Weaving past people

And a copper on a horse

The horse had shat

On the road

A man in a comedy jesters hat

Approached the copper and moaned

The copper just looked down at him

And said "move along sunshine"

Whilst fondling his bat

-on

I stopped for a fag

And sent a quick text

"You coming the game?

Then we'll go out and get wrecked"

In through the turnstile

£18? You're having a laugh

For a cheap plastic seat

That'll give me a pile

Or three

I couldv'e stayed at home

And had a bath

I meet a mate

And get a beer

£2.70 for warm Carling, which I hate

They saw me coming

The game begins

We lose

We're shit

I feel like I've been mugged

But on the plus side

Wrex The Dragon

Did look quite fit

Off to the pub

For a pint

Or six

As a parrot

Bit shit isn't it? See, if we'll publish this we'll publish anything. Get writing!

Nos da brethren

TOMMY TAINANT: MAHARISHI OF JACKOLAND

2009-10-18T17:01:00.007Z

Below is one of Tommy Tainant's finest poetic offerings, reproduced for your delight. For those not in the know, Mr Tainant is Wrexham's number one fan, in addition to being a spiritual guru to the great unwashed, a wordsmith of unchallenged superiority, the greatest Jacko since Twm Sbaen, and the world's foremost unelected but benevolent Great Statesman. We are truly not worthy.

You can follow the spiritual and intellectual endeavors of Mr Tainant (surely it should be Sir Tommy by now) on his wonderful blog, Tommy Tainant's World Of Wonder, here.

Oranges and Carrots are the same colour

Oranges

are orange.
So are carrots.
Why is “orange”
Orange
And not ”carrot”?

Chesters
Going down

Again.
In truth
Its well
Deserved.

It’s a fact.
They have

Been poor
For several
Years.
But then again,

So have we.
Are they
Wrexham
In disguise?
Or are we
Chester?

Which is the
Carrot?
And which is
The orange?
And who makes
These decisions?

Decisions about
Naming colours.
 
And A
Or FC.
Or AFC
And so on.

Orange juice
Carrot juice
Orange cake
Carrot cake
Which is which?
Which is Chester?

Questions need answers
Like plants
Need water
But some Questions
Are harder
Than others.

A carrot

Is a carrot
An orange
Is an orange
Wrexham are Wrexham
And Chester are shit.

ALL IT TAKES IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING

2009-10-18T16:09:00.006Z

Some more photos of yesterday's game, courtesy of redstarwxm on twitpic, aka Serencoch on Red Passion.

We may be playing crap football in a crap league but that is one hot mamma of a football ground. Oh yes.

We've lost our industry; our steelworks, our pits, our breweries, our quarries. We've lost the markets, the Miners Institute, the Hippodrome. A walk through Wrexham town centre today is the same as a walk through any town centre anywhere on this poxy little island we call home. Anytown, UK. The Racecourse is one of the few landmarks we have left and we will be damned in hell before we let this one go.

Sign the petition here!

"EVERY TIME I GO PAST THE RACECOURSE, I GET A SHIVER DOWN MY SPINE"

2009-10-18T01:03:00.002Z

Queuing controversy at The Racecourse before today's victory against the mighty Grays! Read all about it, here.

Just an excuse to post up a couple of photo's of the world's oldest international football stadium, really. Look at it. Beautiful. Not the queues, of course. Bloody ugly, they are. But the ground, oh the ground. Lovely stuff. Stirring, in fact.

Back on topic, it strikes the collective that if you are going to spend cash money on flash new technology, cash money that will ultimately be paid back by the supporters, with interest of course, then it might be an idea to ensure you actually have the means with which to use the technology. But then, perhaps we're just being Luddites, standing in the way of progress. Ho hum.

BEFORE ALL ELSE: BE ARMED

2009-10-18T00:11:00.004Z

Brothers, sisters, Cestrians, lend me your ear...

The petition has thus far been a great success, although more names are still needed.

However, in order to successfully lobby Wrexham County Borough Council, we need as many people to send a letter to WCBC's Chief Planning Officer, Lawrence Isted.

A basic template for a letter can be found here, and the text has been reproduced below:

Attn: Lawrence Isted

Chief Planning Officer

Wrexham County Borough Council

Lambpit Street

PO Box 1290

Wrexham

LL11 1WL

19th October 2009

Re Wrexham Local Development Plan 2006 -2021 Submissions, The Racecourse Ground.

Dear Mr Isted,

I write to you as a member of the Red Passion website community and someone who added my name [number 324] onto the ‘online petition’, seeking inclusion of the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, in the Local Development Plan.

I believe the unique importance of the Racecourse Ground to the borough and the North Wales region as a whole, as confirmed by overwhelming Public Opinion, must require the Racecourse to be named in the LDP, with a specific policy or designation. In addition I believe it should also be covered by general policies of planning for the protection of community and sporting facilities.

Please include this letter as part of the submissions for the LDP process and am assured from your public comments on this matter, you and your fellow council members will be giving this matter your utmost consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Cae Ras

2021, Mold Road

Wrexham

LL21 LDP

DAVID CONN: SIGN THE PETITION!

2009-10-17T23:09:00.001Z

Reproduced below is an article written by the crown prince of thoughtful football journalism, David Conn. Conn wrote the article back in July, when the petition to include our venerable old ground in the Local Development Plan was launched. You can read the original article here.

Wrexham fans have launched a petition for the Racecourse Ground to be protected by the local authority from being sold off without a replacement stadium being in place.

Besides being a North Wales sporting home of history, pedigree and now, following investment, some quality, the Racecourse Ground is also a symbol for all football fans of the need to protect clubs and their grounds from speculators seeking to make money out of them.

In 2005, Wrexham's administrator, David Acland of Begbies Traynor, won a crucial battle to have the ground saved from the bulldozers and returned to the club. It had been transferred to the ownership of a property developer, Alex Hamilton, who had bought the club for £50,000 and was threatening very seriously to throw the club off the site and sell it for retail. Hamilton, and his then partner, Mark Guterman, bought into Wrexham to make money out of the land the ground stood on - and they even signed an agreement to that effect.

"The management and control of the football club is to be on an equal control basis," their agreement stated, "with the main or sole objective to realise the maximum potential gain from the property assets of the football club for the benefit of [Mr Hamilton] and [Mr Guterman]."

I wrote a full account of the court victory which saved the ground, as a landmark for all football fans, here.

Wrexham supporters campaigned passionately over three torrid years then and have not forgotten how close their club, formed in 1872, came to being put out of existence and its ground flattened. The petition, organised by the Red Passion website is part of their ongoing campaign to make sure proper protection is in place to prevent the same kind of scheme being tried again.

It can be signed here.

THE PETITION MANIFESTO

2009-10-17T22:54:00.006Z

This piece originally appeared as a letter in the local paper 'The Leader' and on Wrexham Blog.

Wrexham FC may not be the most glamourous football club in the world, and the fifth tier of the English pyramid certainly isn’t the highest standard of football.

Yet the importance of the club, and crucially the club’s home – the Racecourse Ground – to the town of Wrexham and the North Wales region cannot be emphasised enough.

In the past few decades, Wrexham has lost its heavy industry; its pits, its quarries, its steelworks. We have lost, too, our breweries and our world famous Wrexham Lager Beer Company. To many, from Wrexham and beyond, our industry was a huge part of our identity, and its passing has been keenly felt. The Racecourse, however, remains standing, and has become more important than ever as a symbol of our distinctive local identity.

Perhaps to others, used to Sky Sports and modern ‘elite’ stadia such as the Emirates Stadium, Old Trafford, and the new Wembley, the Racecourse may seem humble; with its terraces, its mix-and-match stands, its faded and weather-beaten seats and aged turnstiles. Yet the Racecourse is of huge historical and contemporary importance. The Racecourse is the oldest international stadium in the world, having hosted both Wrexham and Wales games since 1877. The inaugural international fixture at the Racecourse was a 0-2 defeat to Scotland.

The ground has played host to genuine greats of the game; players such as Stanley Matthews, Johann Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Socrates, and Ryan Giggs. On the Racecourse pitch, Wales have beaten more noted footballing nations such as Spain and England; and Wrexham, a club with a reputation for slaying giants, have beaten the likes of Porto and Arsenal on the hallowed turf.

The stadium is renowned across the British Isles and beyond as an authentic and genuine theatre of the game; it is cherished not just by supporters of Wrexham and Wales, but also by football enthusiasts the world over.

Unfortunately, the stadium also sits on prime town-centre real estate, which has made the club and its land a target for property developers. In 2002, Alex Hamilton took control of the football club, and immediately transferred ownership of the Racecourse from the club to a separate company, Crucialmove, making the club tenants in their own stadium in the process. Hamilton then raised the rent to a prohibitively high level, and changed the terms of the lease to allow a 12-month notice of eviction.

Two years later, Hamilton – having saddled the club with debt as he sought to create a financially unstable situation at the club – served notice of eviction, and many feared that this historic stadium was on its knees. Hamilton’s intention, having asset-stripped the club, was to sell the land for property development, which would have pocketed himself millions but would have meant the end not just for ground but also for the football team.

The supporters of Wrexham FC organised, orchestrating an outstanding campaign to raise the profile of the situation at Wrexham and to shine a light on the dealings of Alex Hamilton. This resulted in thousands marching on countless protests, and a media campaign of epic proportions, but befitting of a stadium as venerable and as significant as the Racecourse.

A ferocious legal battle followed, along with a nationwide campaign of support in solidarity with Wrexham fans. In late 2005, a ruling by judge Alistair Norris in the high court provided a historic rebuke to property speculation in football: the judge ruled that “A fiduciary position in the club has been misused for the benefit of those interested in the exploitation of its property assets.” The ground was returned to the club.

Fast-forward to today, and ownership of the club has changed hands several times since the era of Alexander Hamilton. However, to ensure that the Racecourse is not the target of asset-strippers and ruthless property developers in the future, the online community of Red Passion – the primary website and forum for Wrexham supporters – has launched a petition calling upon Wrexham Council to safeguard the Racecourse by including it within the Local Development Plan.

The petition asks that the councillors ensure that the Racecourse is clearly identified in the Local Development Plan as an area that is protected and reserved for leisure activities, and specifically in its role as the primary sporting arena in North Wales.

Describing the aim of the petition, a Red Passion spokesperson said “By including and thereby protecting the Racecourse within the Local Development Plan, fans will be eternally grateful to the council for safeguarding the stadium, should a rogue property developer attempt to purchase the club or stadium in the future. With this in mind, the online Wrexham fans community ask that Wrexham County Borough Council’s Planning Policy Committee agree on the inclusion of the Racecourse Stadium in the Local Development Plan (LDP) for the years 2006-2021.”

The petition has already received a phenomenal amount of support in only a couple of months. A Red Passion spokesman went onto say, “We have been overwhelmed by the response so far. Signatories to the petition include not only many residents of Wrexham County Borough and supporters of Wrexham FC, but supporters from clubs across the UK and the world. We have support from fans of our greatest rivals, such as Chester, Tranmere, and Shrewsbury, and supporters of clubs as diverse as FC United of Manchester, Wimbledon, Brighton, Cardiff, Swansea, Porto, Valencia, Roma, Manchester United, Celtic, and Vålerenga.

Included in the signatories are individuals such as Stephen Birch, currently serving in Afghanistan, Kevin Roberts, Worldwide CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, and former players, such as ex-Wrexham, Chelsea and Wales goalkeeping great, and current Manchester City coach, Eddie Niedzwiecki. This illustrates the diversity of support for the petition, and those names sit proudly alongside over 8000 others at the time of writing, with messages of solidarity pouring in from the United States, Malaysia, and Thailand, and of course from across Wales and the UK.

The support that the Red Passion community has received thus far from across the footballing world demonstrates the affection in which the Racecourse is held.

Safeguarding the Racecourse Stadium is not only good for sporting and cultural events, it is also important for the local economy. A spokesman for the Red Passion group of fans said “The North Wales Economic Forum has identified the Stadium as the regional venue for events such as international football, rugby and other team events. This theory is borne out by the stadium currently being used as one of only four venues in Wales for the junior World Cup Rugby tournament, and the only venue in North Wales. The North Wales Economic Forum has adopted the North Wales sports strategy, which singles out the Racecourse Ground for this purpose. The Welsh Assembly Minister for Sport, Culture and the Welsh Language accepted this document formally as the basis for Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) policy development relating to North Wales and sport and physical activity. We are of the view to secure the ground through the Local Development Plan is therefore in line with national policy.“

We ask for anybody who cares about the game, the town, the region, or about heritage and the preservation of local, civic, community identities, to sign the petition in solidarity with Red Passion, with Wrexham fans, and with supporters of clubs throughout the world, to ensure that the Racecourse is protected, so that future generations can cherish this historic ground as much as we do.

Please take a moment to sign the petition here.

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WE ARE FEW BUT WE ARE MANY

2009-10-17T18:13:00.002Z

Welcome, comrades, compadres, aficionados of the ugly game.

This is the new blog for the Protect The Racecourse campaign.

We are a collective of Wrexham supporters from the community website Red Passion aiming to preserve football at the oldest international stadium in the world.

It is our objective to lobby our local authority, Wrexham County Borough Council, to include the wonderful stadium you see above in the Local Development Plan. This would ensure that the land can only be used for sports and entertainment, and would offer some, albeit not enough, protection against that phenomena that all of us lowly football fans have come to fear, namely asset-stripping.

You can help our campaign by signing our petition.

You can sign the petition here:

Our Petition

We already have more than 8,000 signatures from fellow football addicts the world over - but we need more!

Thanks

The Collective