Ben Tozer, the captain of Wrexham, has informed co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney that building a training facility is the next major step in the team’s goal to climb to the dizzying heights of the Premier League.
After defeating Forest Green Rovers 6-0, the Red Dragons have been promoted to League One. This accomplishment represents the first time in the 159-year history of the club to have consecutive promotions, and it also represents Wrexham’s first appearance in the English football third level since 2005.
Since the club’s promotion was obtained, a lot of discussion has centered on the potential for them to get three straight since the Hollywood owners took ownership in 2021. When Reynolds declared that he was aiming to be in the top flight within the next ten years, he did not play around.
And in order to achieve such a victory, captain Tozer has identified a crucial area that must be addressed immediately.
The 34-year-old stated to TalkSport, “The infrastructure behind the club, in terms of the training ground, is the big question.”
That is the one significant item that must be unchangeable. It’s difficult since, despite your efforts, you don’t get paid for what you invest, and setting that up will be very expensive.
“However, those guys are brilliant; they’ll figure it out.” They’ll figure out a way to bring everything together.
The women’s senior squad plays home matches at Rock Stadium, and manager Phil Parkinson and his staff currently use a variety of locations for weekday training, including Colliers Park, Carden Park, the SToK Cae Ras, and the stadium itself.
Expanding the SToK Cae Ras, investing in players and staff, and building a “permanent training facility that is worthy of an EFL club” were all highlighted as important bullet items in the mission statement released by Reynolds and McElhenney following their acquisition.
“It’s the same where I grew up in Canada, there’s a lot of bureaucracy, it’s not just as easy as saying let’s build this thing or grow this thing you have to get 800 permits before you’re allowed to.”
Reynolds and McElhenney have discovered first hand how difficult navigating the choppy waters of council bureaucracy and permits can be with the ongoing saga concerning the building of a permanent Kop Stand.
Permission was granted for a new permanent stand containing 5,500 seats in November 2022, with work originally expected to start the following summer. Yet, a combination of funding delays and site issues means a temporary stand has had to be installed instead to meet the increasing clamour for tickets.
