Wrexham's redevelopment of its home continues to spread beyond the stadium itself. On Monday, the club announced that its ownership group, Wrexham Holdings, has completed the purchase of The Turf, the pub sitting just outside the Racecourse Ground, buying it from Admiral Taverns.
The Turf has become known well beyond north Wales in recent years thanks to its regular appearances in the FX docuseries 'Welcome To Wrexham,' which follows the club's ownership under Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac. Landlord Wayne Jones, a fixture in the series since it began in 2022, will remain in charge of the pub under the new ownership.
In its statement, the club said the move allows "for the preservation of the history and traditions of the historic public house that is inexorably linked to the Racecourse Ground and Wrexham AFC Football Club since its foundation in 1864." With both the stadium and the pub now under Wrexham Holdings, the club said it can better protect the venue while also investing in the matchday experience around it, including plans to "enhance the current fan zone and other fan-related activities in the area next to The Turf on the Mold Road."
Part of a Wider Plan
The purchase is described as part of a broader effort to secure the club's future by "ring fencing key areas related to the life of the Club." The statement pointed to other recent examples of this strategy, including the new Kop End currently under construction, the purchase of the 'The Rock' site as a home for the women's team, and the men's team's newly completed training facilities.
Eric Allyn, representing minority investors the Allyn family, spoke to what the pub means to those now running the club. "Ever since we invested in Wrexham AFC through Red Dragon Ventures in 2024, the town, the community and the Football Club have become a second home," he said. "And no place more so than The Turf with Wayne Jones behind the bar and filled with the locals and international fans that visit regularly - they have all become our friends and have welcomed us into the Wrexham family. By bringing The Turf into the group, we are securing the long-term future of the pub and with it preserving its history and that of the Club."
Jones on Two Decades Behind the Bar
Jones, who has run The Turf for 20 years, called the move "great news for all Wrexham fans." He added some historical context of his own: "The Turf Tavern, as it was then, predates the Club and records suggest that the Club itself was founded in the pub. It has played a key part of the Club's history ever since, with the players changing in the pub before running out onto the Racecourse Ground as recently as the 1940s, and it continues to be a focal point for fans on matchdays and non-matchdays."
He said he looks forward to "continue running The Turf and bringing its unique mix of history, atmosphere and sometimes Hollywood stardust to the next generation of Wrexham fans and locals alike."
The announcement lands two days after Wrexham picked up their second Championship win of the season, beating fellow promotion hopefuls Southampton 2-1. Phil Parkinson's side sit 14th after eight games with 10 points, seven behind league leaders and Welsh rivals Swansea City. With the international break now underway, Wrexham won't return to action until October 10, when they host Derby County.
