The Kop redevelopment at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground has been on the agenda now for more than three years, but with piping work only officially getting underway earlier this month, fans are understandably frustrated at just how long the project is taking.
While Wrexham fans are losing patience with the project, the general population in Wales are also now taking issue with it after it emerged that taxpayers' money has been used to help fund it.
Wrexham receive £18m grant for Kop redevelopment
According to a report in the Guardian, who discovered the details via the UK government's state aid disclosures, Wrexham have received £18m in nonrepayable grants from the Welsh government for the Kop renovation.
The revelation has come as a shock to many people in Wales for several reasons. First and foremost, it raises questions around the transparency of Wrexham County Borough Council and the Welsh government.
When the project was announced, it was revealed that the Welsh government would provide the local council with £25m of funding to redevelop the area around Wrexham General Station, which is next door to the Racecourse Ground.
However, it has never been detailed that £18m of that £25m would actually be given directly to the club for the redevelopment of one of their stands.
For some reason, the tax payer has paid for Wrexham's new stand. And it is not a loan. https://t.co/lqFV0rMbwZ
— slbsn (@slbsn) November 29, 2025
Questions raised over the decision to help Reynolds and McElhenney
The other main reason why the Welsh public are frustrated with the revelation is that Wrexham are the last club in the entire country that needs government handouts.
They are owned by two Hollywood movie stars with a combined net worth of around $400m, and the club have benefited from the pair's notoriety in recent years in the form of big sponsorship contracts and a Docuseries on Disney+.
In an attempt to explain the situation, a spokesperson for Wrexham County Borough Council told the Guardian:
“The Racecourse is an important cultural and heritage asset for the city of Wrexham, and we are obviously keen to protect it for the future.
“Utilising grant funding from the Welsh government, the council have provided funding to the football club to enable the redevelopment plans to be enhanced to a standard to enable international matches to be hosted in Wrexham once again.”
FGG says: The people have a right to be angry
It's a widely accepted fact that working-class people across the United Kingdom are currently struggling more than ever, and while governments and councils profess to have no wiggle room to support these individuals, they can't be seen handing £18m to a couple of multi-millionaire actors so they can build a new stand at their football club.