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Key Information about The Racecourse Ground

The Racecourse Ground is the world’s oldest international football stadium which still hosts international matches.

It opened back in 1807, and has been used for football since 1864 with Wrexham Football Club moving in after being founded during the same year. The Racecourse Ground has hosted the most Wales international matches out of any other ground in the Country, and it is the largest stadium in north Wales with a capacity of 10,771.

The infamous ground is divided into four famous stands; the Kop, Bkoncepts Stand, University End, and Hays Travel Stand.

A history of The Racecourse Ground

Since being formed in the local Turf Hotel public house in October 1864, Wrexham Football Club have played all of their home matches at The Racecourse Ground, with the exception of a couple of seasons in the late 1880s. The concrete terracing on the Kop end was laid down in 1952 and it is the oldest part of the ground to this day. Five years later in 1957,

The Racecourse Ground witnessed a record attendance of 34,445 as fans gathered to watch Wrexham take on Manchester United in an FA Cup Fourth Round tie. Two years later on 30 September 1959, floodlights were installed at the ground for the first time which meant that Wrexham could now host night-time fixtures in darker conditions.

In 2002, then Wrexham FC chairman William Pryce Griffiths agreed a 125-year lease on the Racecourse with Wolverhampton Dudley Breweries for just £750,000. Soon after in 2005, the club hosted a second-leg UEFA Champions League qualifier between TNS and Liverpool, where Steven Gerrard famously scored five goals over both legs of the tie.

On 26 June 2002, the freehold to The Racecourse Ground was acquired by Wrexham AFC from Wolverhampton Dudley Breweries for £300,000, and on the same day the ownership of the freehold was transferred to another one of chairman, Alex Hamilton’s companies – Damens Ltd.

In spring 2014, work commenced on redeveloping The Racecourse Ground, and this included a new pitch and sprinkler system and changing rooms for players. In addition to this the medical and treatment facilities were also upgraded along with enhanced floodlights and the removal of camber lights at the Kop end.

This now meant that the stadium had been reclassified to Category 3 level, which entitles it to host international football matches once again. In August 2016, Wrexham Glyndwr University and Wrexham AFC signed a 99-year The Racecourse Ground stadium lease, as the university had previously purchased the landmark in 2011 to prevent it from extinction.

Tickets to Watch Wrexham at The Racecourse Ground

Adult ticket prices are ranged from £16-20, concessions at £7-15, and under-11s can attend a match for just £1. Current adult season ticket prices stand at £182-322 for all members of the club.

Related Links

https://www.wrexhamafc.co.uk/ – Official website of Wrexham FC

https://www.wrexhamafc.co.uk/tickets/home-tickets – Wrexham FC Ticket Office

Coventry City have confirmed the sale of Zain Westbrooke to Bristol Rovers via their official website.

With Mark Robins now preparing for the Championship, Westbrooke’s sale comes after the a number of significant arrivals.

The arrivals began with Gustavo Hamer signing from PEC Zwolle, before Julien Dacosta joined from Chamois Niortais on a free transfer.

Callum O’Hare was the next player to be announced as a Coventry player, agreeing a permanent move to the club after spending last term on loan at the Sky Blues from Aston Villa.

And, finally Marcel Hilssner’s signing was then announced, and that was followed up by a deal to bring in Ryan Giles.

Westbrooke joins Bristol Rovers and will drop down from the Championship back to League One, where he will undoubtedly be keen to replicate the success he had with Coventry.

Coventry announced the deal via their official website which came with an undisclosed transfer fee.

The 23-year-old midfielder was part of the Sky Blues side last season which secured promotion to the Championship, featuring for Robins’ side on 25 occasions in which he netted four goals and gained two assists.

A strange move for Westbrooke back down to League One and one for Coventry, it is a little surprising that they have let him go given he played fairly regularly last term.

That being said, Robins has been active in the summer transfer window and he may feel he has better options moving into the new season.

Do you think Coventry should have kept hold of Westbrooke? Let us know in the comments section below…

Coventry City have joined Luton Town and Peterborough in the race to sign talented Wolverhampton Wanderers youngster Owen Otasowie.

Sky Blues boss Mark Robins has been busy already this summer in bolstering his squad options, bringing in the likes of Gustavo Hamer, Julien Dacosta, Marcel Hilssner, Callum O’Hare and Ryan Giles.

Preparing his side for the Championship next term after gaining promotion from League One as champions, Robins has now been credited with interest in young Wolves talent Otasowie.

The youngster, who was born in New York and has represented his country twice at under-18 level, has been featuring for the Premier League club’s under-23 side.

The 19-year-old’s impressions have gained interest from Luton and Peterborough with Peterborough Telegraph reporting that interest and it is now claimed that Coventry are also keen.

Aside from featuring at under-23 level this term for Wolves, Otasowie has also made a single appearance for the Premier League side’s first team, playing in the Europa League against Turkish side Besiktas.

The report goes on to add that any potential deal for the youngster to go to Luton, Peterborough or Coventry would be a loan deal.

Otasowie has not been able to break into the Wolves first team since appearing in the Europa League and it does seem like a loan deal is the best move for his development.

Coventry would do no harm in bringing the United States youngster in, even if he grabs a handful of appearances, as it would add to their squad depth.

Do you think Otasowie would be a good signing for Coventry? Let us know in the comments section below…

Brighton centre-back Shane Duffy has had talks with Neil Lennon about moving to Celtic this summer – his boyhood supported club.

Since Graham Potter took over as Brighton manager, Duffy has struggled to make starts in the Premier League, and there is lots of speculation about his future with the Seagulls. Duffy made just 19 appearances in the Premier League last season.

The Republic of Ireland defender has been strongly linked with a move to Celtic this summer according to the Daily Record, and he has already held talks with Neil Lennon about switching the south coast of England for Glasgow.

It has been reported that Celtic have discussed the option of a one-year loan move for Duffy, which would see him challenge Christopher Jullien and Kristoffer Ajer for a starting spot at Celtic Park.

The 28-year-old centre-back is in the prime of career and is pushing for a move out of Brighton, despite the fact his contract runs-out in 2023. The talks with Celtic are very much still in the early stages, and there are lots more terms to discuss such as a loan fee and potential wages if the move goes through.

Celtic also face tough competition for Duffy’s signature, however. Premier League trio; West Ham, Burnley and newly promoted West Bromwich Albion have also been linked with Duffy in recent weeks. West Ham have looked the most likely to sign the Irishman as the former Everton youngster used to be managed by David Moyes.

In other news, Duffy was spotted on a night out with friends when he was approached by Celtic fans who sang his name before he joined in the fun.

Verdict

Duffy would be a great signing for Celtic, and he is already loved by the fans and admired by Lennon.

It would be a perfect match for the experienced centre-back, and at 6ft 4in, he would surely be a great presence and leader amongst their defence.

Sheffield United are in the market for a striker, and they have recently been linked with a loan move for Rhian Brewster. However it looks like this deal might not go ahead as they are now reportedly interested in a forward from the Bundesliga.

According to journalist for the Guardian Ed Aarons the Blades, as well as Championship side Swansea, are interested in loaning Germany youth international Leon Dajaku from Bayern Munich.

The 19-year-old forward signed a four-year deal last summer at the Bavarian giants after joining from Stuttgart

The forward has made appearances for the youth teams at Bayern and VfB Stuttgart, as well as featuring a handful of times for their senior squads, but his record at youth level highlights the frightening potential he has as he has played 92 times and scored 47 goals whilst assisting 20, per Transfermarkt.

A young forward to bolster the attack could be exactly what the Blades need as they have the veterans in Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick, as well as Lys Mousset and Oliver McBurnie, who were the two top goal scorers for the club last season.

Therefore bringing in a young star looks to be an ideal signing as he would add some healthy competition to the squad. He has a very prolific record and the deal seems like a no-brainer for the club, especially when it is also just a loan move as it means there is no real risk in signing the player.

Blades fans, are your excited by this news? Comment below!

Arsenal have been chasing big-name reinforcements for the majority of the ongoing summer transfer window. Of course, the Gunners and Mikel Arteta himself have big aspirations for the upcoming 2020/21 Premier League campaign and their ambition can be seen in the transfer targets they’ve set for themselves.

One such player is Olympique Lyon’s Houssem Aouar but getting him to the Emirates will be much easier said than done. After all, not only is he quite expensive with the French titans still valuing him at around £54m, but now, more bad news has emerged in the media.

According to the latest report from The Mirror, Manchester City are ready to enter the race for the midfielder and potentially mess up the Gunners’ plans.

Pep Guardiola seems to like the player and would be willing to battle his former student for his signature. Both coaches seem to think the 22-year-old prospects could be a star of the future so we could indeed be seeing a big battle on the market between the two clubs.

Of course, Arsenal have also explored the option of offering cash and one of their players, reportedly Matteo Guendouzi, but Lyon are simply not interested in the 21-year-old and want the potential buyer, whoever that ends up being, to meet their asking price.

So far, that’s all we know and it will be interesting to see how Arteta responds now that the Citizens might also enter the fray.

Verdict

Aouar can be the type of player to provide Arsenal with the creative spark they were lacking at times. Not only that but he is also very young and can still improve with the right guidance.

However, nothing is set in stone and at the end of the day, it will be up to him to decide where he wants to continue his career.

Roy Hodgson, and Crystal Palace fans, will likely be very pleased after their Premier League season started with a 1-0 victory over Southampton.

This will feel especially sweet considering the Eagles failed to win any of their last eight league matches last term.

There are plenty of individual performances that will have also left them impressed, with those from Cheikhou Kouyate and Wilfried Zaha being among them. Scott Dann is also one of those that deserves plenty of plaudits for his contribution to the win.

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The 33-year-old put in a colossal performance at the heart of Palace’s defence to ensure his side kept a clean sheet.

It was a typically committed display from the 6 foot 2 in man, as was typified when he furiously shouted at his teammates when Danny Ings was afforded the space to get a header off, despite Vicente Guaita saving the effort.

That can also be clearly highlighted by two of his statistics from the match: 10 aerial duels won and eight clearances completed.

He also made two interceptions throughout, while no tackles were attempted, indicating how he reacted to Southampton’s attacks and made sure he could get to the ball any way he could, rather than getting tight to the attackers.

There wasn’t any mucking about on the ball either, as the Palace cult hero attempted just 25 passes throughout the whole game, completing 14.

It was a solid, no-nonsense performance from Dann, which is exactly what his side needed from him.

According to a recent report by Dutch news outlet Tubantia, Tottenham hold a serious interest in Wolfsburg striker Wout Weghorst and could complete a deal over the coming week – with chairman Daniel Levy and co still on the look out for a striker after capturing Sergio Reguilon and Gareth Bale. 

Over quite an eventful seven days for the club, which involved the announcement of a sensational double swoop along with two noteworthy victories on the pitch, Tottenham supporters may have even more to celebrate soon as per this update from across the continent.

The Lilywhites celebrated bringing Bale back to the club on loan, along with a permanent deal for defensive sensation Sergio Reguilon, in style by putting Southampton to the sword on Sunday – winning 5-2 at St Mary’s courtesy of a Son Heung-min masterclass display.

On the exact same day, Tubantia reported that Spurs are not done in the transfer window just yet despite their impressive business so far, with prolific Bundesliga target man Weghorst on the agenda as they eye a sixth summer signing.

Scoring 20 goals in all competitions for his club last campaign, the towering 6ft 5 target man has been described as a ‘tireless’ force up front whilst also drawing comparisons with ex-Premier League striker Edin Dzeko (Bundesliga).

Now, this huge development that Spurs could land him over the coming week may well be music to the ears of many fans who want to see a capable back-up to star striker Harry Kane.

It remains to be seen whether Levy and co do in fact land their man, but judging by his credentials, he certainly has the potential to turn many heads.

Spurs fans, would Weghorst be your dream capture? Have your say in the comments down below…

Celtic may regret missing out on West Ham winger Robert Snodgrass, after making a loan move before the transfer window deadline.

What’s the word?

Neil Lennon’s side were looking to make reinforcements to their squad in the closing stages of the window, and reports had claimed that they had made a loan offer to Scotland international Snodgrass at the weekend.

However, that deal failed to materialise, with the Bhoys instead settling on Diego Laxalt as a late arrival. Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan has even suggested that Celtic could return for Snodgrass when the January transfer window opens up in a couple of months, claiming that the Hoops “could squeeze that last bit of quality out of him to help the team”.

Proven Premier League player

Whilst Celtic did end up bringing a new face in, a move for Snodgrass would have made far sense for the club than signing Laxalt like they did.

With 28 caps for Scotland, the West Ham ace is still proving even this season that he still has plenty left in his locker. In three Carabao Cup matches for the Hammers, he has scored twice and set up another, whilst the 2019/2020 campaign saw him establish himself as a consistent performer, netting five goals and providing five assists in 26 games.

Described as a “wonderful player” by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, the £40k-a-week ace has that bit of creativity and class in the final third that could have added a real bit of quality to Celtic.

Capable of playing on either flank, and also as a number ten, Snodgrass averaged 1.4 key passes, 1.6 crosses and even 1.2 tackles per game in the Premier League last season. So whilst he may be 33, there’s still legs left in the Scot’s career, and given his versatility, could have been a real coup for Neil Lennon’s side had they managed to pull a loan move off.

Portsmouth’s star striker John Marquis has revealed how Kenny Jackett’s side identified a major flaw in Phil Parkinson’s tactics that allowed the south coast outfit to exploit Sunderland on Saturday.

The Fratton Park natives allowed Sunderland to take control of proceedings with just a 43% share of possession, but restricted their hosts to a measly single shot on target coming through Charlie Wyke’s initial equaliser in the 10th-minute, per SofaScore.

Portsmouth had opened the scoring through Marcus Harness three minutes prior and continued to create chances throughout the League One clash, with Jackett’s men hitting six further shots on target from 11 strikes.

Marquis took much of the acclaim at the Stadium of Light with goals either side of half-time to secure a 3-1 win over the 10-men Sunderland following Luke O’Nien’s 84th-minute red card, moving Portsmouth above the Black Cats in the table on goal difference.

Marquis has now revealed how he, Jackett and the Portsmouth squad had analysed Sunderland’s unbeaten start to the campaign to deal Parkinson his first loss of the season, with the south coast side able to conjure together a game plan the striker believes was executed to perfection on Saturday.

“We had a gameplan and we stuck to it,” Marquis told the Portsmouth News. “We didn’t want to come here and change the shape we’ve been playing lately and try to match them up, as other teams have done when here this season.

“I’d say it was our best performance of the season. Today, in the second-half, we were very disciplined, didn’t get pulled out of our shape. To come to a place like Sunderland to get three points makes the drive home much sweeter.

“We knew we could counter-attack them, they are very expansive, they are very open at times when they lose the ball, so we’ve been working on counter-attacking quickly and getting our shots.

“We did that today and then won the penalty with a great run behind from Ryan Williams and I was able to step up and put it away.”

Marquis’ comments must prick the ears of Parkinson and the Sunderland first-team ahead of facing Rochdale on Tuesday night, as the Portsmouth star has pinpointed a major flaw in the Black Cats’ tactics that could carry dire consequences over the remainder of the season.

Other teams will now look to allow Sunderland a greater share of the possession if they, too, feel it will leave space in behind that can be exploited, while trying to shut up shop in front of their goal to force the Stadium of Light natives into trying the spectacular to score.

None of Sunderland’s eight goals in League One thus far this term have come from counter-attacking moves carried out by the North East outfit, who have fired home five from open play, two from the penalty spot and been gifted one own goal, per WhoScored.

Parkinson’s side have also averaged a lower share of possession (52.1%) per game than they registered against Portsmouth (57%), showing how Jackett was happy to concede the ball to the hosts in the belief it would create spaces where his players could strike.

Sunderland’s next opponents, Rochdale, may also look to explore this route, having averaged just 47.2% of the ball in their opening eight third-tier fixtures, with which they have created 10.9 shots per game for seven goals.

AND in other news, a Sunderland icon has likened one of Phil Parkinson’s signings to a UEFA Men’s Player of the Year.