Timing couldn't be better for a new football museum for Wrexham

Plans for a National Football Museum for Wales in Wrexham are a step closer after the Welsh Government agreed to fund the scheme in the town's museum.

The move has been welcomed by Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymru's North Wales MS, who launched the campaign for a Wrexham-based national museum five years ago.

Mr Gruffydd, who will contest Clwyd South for Plaid Cymru in next year's election, said: 

"This has been something we in Plaid Cymru have pushed for a long time and it's good to see it come to fruition as a result of our pressure on the Welsh Government. Our original call for a national football museum in Wrexham was met with some initial scepticism but the campaign won the doubters over.

"We're grateful for the initial support from Wrexham Supporters' Trust and its then chair Pete Jones, who was there at the launch in December 2015. Back then we had to convince people that we needed a football museum, that it should be in Wrexham and that it should be at a revamped Racecourse ground. Eventually, as part of a budget agreement with the Welsh Government, Plaid Cymru was able to get the funding needed for this project to go ahead.

"We won the arguments with the first two elements but the new museum will be housed in Wrexham's county museum - perhaps in years to come it can be relocated to the Racecourse as the Kop End gets redeveloped. We'll see what happens when the new owners take over - perhaps it will be part of their plans."

Councillor Carrie Harper, who also attended the Racecourse launch five years ago, added:

"Wrexham is the spiritual home of Welsh football - this is where the Football Association of Wales was created and early internationals played. We've got a tremendous history to tell through the generations right up to the present day - everyone's looking forward to next year's Euros as Wales goes from strength to strength and more locally the town buzzing with news of new owners.

"Wrexham council owns one of the largest collections of Welsh football memorabilia and this is a great opportunity to showcase that. I can't think of a better time to open the new museum."