MEDIA RESPONSE: VICTORY! THE RACECOURSE IS PROTECTED

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.” 

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

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

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

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.”

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DAVID CONN: SIGN THE PETITION!

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.

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