Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney to build Wrexham 'cauldron' as exciting Racecourse expansion designs revealed by architects behind Tottenham Hotspur Stadium & Las Vegas Sphere

The Red Dragons, with Hollywood co-owners calling the shots and funding an ambitious project, have linked up with leading architects Populous – who have previously worked on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Wembley and The Sphere in Las Vegas.

They have been charged with the task of mapping out a vision for SToK Racecourse. The first part of that plan, which is due to be completed in the summer of 2026, will see 5,500 seats added to The Kop stand – which has been demolished and replaced by a temporary structure that currently houses 3,000 fans.

Delays to that project, which first received a green light in November 2022, have been frustrating but it is now ready to kick into gear. The blueprint for the new Kop includes the option for 2,000 more seats to be added at a later date.

Declan Sharkey, global director and senior principal at Populous, has told The Athletic of helping to future-proof Wrexham’s iconic home: “When looking at the Kop Stand, the plan was to create a real cauldron. We explored acoustic design, our in-house team going into a lot of detail to ensure that the noise will be like no other. As a League One stadium, which it is at the moment, the atmosphere is incredible. But what the new stand will do is lift that up a couple of notches again. Rob and Ryan have been phenomenal. Their passion, their commitment, their vision for this club has really informed our design process.”

Reynolds and McElhenney have never shied away from the fact that they want to see Wrexham become a Premier League club at some stage. If that path is to be trodden, then off-field surroundings will need to match the club’s on-field standing.

Wrexham chief executive Michael Williamson said of the proposed ground work: “We had a plan for 5,500 seats within a certain mass and a certain volume. We wanted to maintain that because of the planning process and keep the consistency, not have to change that significantly. But we wanted to be able to future-proof within that mass and volume.

“If we wanted to expand and grow beyond those 5,500 seats, how can we do that? More importantly, what is the look and feel for the rest of the stadium in the future as we want to round out the corners, invest in other areas, grow other areas as we continue to, hopefully, rise up the pyramid? That was the key from the club’s perspective. Not just the now, but also planning and preparing for the ‘what ifs’ in five, 10, 15 years’ time.”

The Red Dragons, who have enjoyed back-to-back promotions, are currently sat third in the League One table. As they attempt to make EFL history with their meteoric rise, more drama is being delivered for the club’s award-winning ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series.