Wrexham’s new Football Museum nets further £5.45m
Wales’ first dedicated museum of football has received a £5.45m funding boost from the Welsh Government.
The new funding was announced by deputy arts and sport minister Dawn Boden during a visit to Wrexham earlier this week, where the museum is being developed.
The museum will be housed within the existing Wrexham Museum, which is also undergoing a full renovation. It will display Wales’ national football collection and showcase a wide range of themes, including football in Welsh language communities, and fan culture.
The Welsh Government has already invested more than £800,000 in the museum since 2020, enabling it to appoint a dedicated football curator and engagement officers, progress designs, and run a nationwide public engagement and community consultation to develop proposed plans and content.
The development comes at a time when the North Wales city is under an international spotlight after the acquisition of Wrexham AFC – the third oldest professional football club in the world – by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny, whose efforts get the club promoted to the Football League were captured in an FX documentary last year.
“Wrexham is the birthplace of Welsh football so it’s the ideal location to celebrate the sport’s heritage,” said Boden.
“We have seen many successes, especially in recent years, in men’s and women’s football, and ensuring the dramatic and emotive events on the international stage, the history and development of club football in Wales and the spirit and diversity of the Welsh football community is told in one place will be vital for present and future generations.
“The new museum will become a key venue in the city as well as for North Wales’ tourist and visitor offer. It also comes at an exciting time for Wrexham AFC as they aim to get back into the Football League.”
She added: “We are now at a very exciting stage and the funding announced today, subject to conditions and approval of a full business case in due course, will see community and pan-Wales engagement on the project continue as well as developing the content, collections and exhibitions through to construction and opening of the new Football Museum for Wales.”
Paul Roberts, lead member for partnerships and community safety at Wrexham County Borough Council, said: “I’d like to thank the Welsh Government for their continued support for Wrexham, the spiritual home of football, to continue to develop the Football Museum for Wales.
“This is a really exciting project as football plays such a large part in our culture and identity and the people of Wrexham and across Wales can now be assured that the Welsh football collection will be preserved for present and future generations in Wales.”
The plan to create the museum forms part of a co-operation agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru to protect and promote Wales’ culture and heritage.