Wrexham owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have welcomed the decision for the club to take over the Racecourse Ground lease and allow them to push ahead with stadium development.
The lease is currently held by Wrexham Supporters Trust, who wanted a binding covenant that the Hollywood-owned League Two club could not be moved away from the ground.
WST members have now agreed to surrender the Racecourse lease under the terms of a deal that will see Wrexham continue to play at the ground until at least June 30, 2115. Wrexham will also make a payment of £187,000 upon surrender of the lease.
Co-chairmen McElhenney and Reynolds said: “We were delighted to receive the support of the directors of the WST and share their understandable desire to protect the long-term future of the club.
“Our legacy at the club will not be defined while we are its custodians, so we wanted to address the anomaly in the WST lease for the Racecourse Ground that did not include the requirement for the team to actually play at the stadium, only not allow it to be used for any other purpose.
“We didn’t want anyone in the future to be able to exploit that position.
“The payment of £187,000, is an equivalent amount to that contributed by fans to save the club.
“To know that we will provide the funding to effectively pay everyone back who contributed to save the club is worth every penny and gives us a great deal of satisfaction.
“We would appeal to the 824 members who have a vote, to do so in favour of the proposal and allow the club to continue on this wonderful journey we are all on.”
Wrexham plan to redevelop the Kop stand – the site currently stands empty – and boost capacity to around 15,600.
It had been hoped to be built in time for the start of the 2024-25 season, but funding issues have meant the project will be delayed.
Wrexham expect the stadium development will see the men’s national team to play at the Racecourse – the world’s oldest international football stadium that still hosts matches, having staged its first Wales home game in 1877 – more often.
Wales visited Wrexham last month – a friendly against Gibraltar – for only the second time since 2009.
A Wrexham statement read: “The club were delighted to be informed that the Directors of the Wrexham Football Supporter’s Society Limited (‘WST’) would be recommending to their membership that they should accept our proposal to surrender the lease for The Racecourse Ground.
“The surrender of the lease is required by the club to enable the funding for the Kop Development/UEFA Stadium Category 4 status to be secured.
“The negotiations between the club and those representing the WST have been undertaken against the backdrop of wanting to ensure that everyone’s interests were protected. We believe that we have achieved this objective.
“As part of the deal, the club will make a payment of £187,000 upon surrender of the lease, a payment of £1,000 per annum (increasing by 3% per annum) and meet the legal costs of the WST connected with the surrender of the lease.
“The most significant non-financial commitment made by the club was the positive commitment that the men’s first team will continue to play at the Racecourse Ground until at least June 30, 2115.”
The news comes after Wrexham’s 2-0 defeat at Accrington and the club’s continued war of words with Stanley chairman Andy Holt.
Wrexham condemned Accrington’s decision to increase matchday ticket prices by £5 for Saturday’s league game.
Holt took a swipe at Wrexham and their successful docu-series on social media after the game, saying: “Accrington 2 Hollywood nil. I think @VancityReynolds should cut prices by a tenner @ Wrexham_AFC.
“Safe journey home folks. Get that on @netflix Ryan lad.”
Pochettino prioritising continuity as Chelsea draw up transfer plans
Mauricio Pochettino feels continuity will be key for Chelsea ahead of his second season in charge, ruling out the prospect of another clear-out at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea clinched European qualification on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday, a 2-1 win over Bournemouth ensuring they beat Newcastle United and Manchester United to sixth place.
The Blues finished the campaign with five straight victories, the first time they have achieved that feat since doing so in March 2022 under Thomas Tuchel.
A positive end to Pochettino's debut campaign has quietened talk of his job being under threat, and he wants to see evolution rather than revolution ahead of 2024-25.
"Does the club need new signings? Always, you can improve," Pochettino said after Sunday's victory.
"They are going to be much better next season because they will have one year of experience, a tough experience.
"That is the advantage of being solid and consistent and not making too many changes.
"Next season, if we keep 80 to 85 per cent of the squad, for sure it is a big step forward because it is about having continuity in the ideas and the knowledge between them. That is important for the club.
"That is a club decision. Like it was from the beginning, we [the coaching staff] are going to be there to help and if not, we are going to do our job."
Chelsea only lost one of their final 15 matches of the Premier League season (nine wins, five draws), with that defeat coming by a 5-0 scoreline at Arsenal in April.
Only Manchester City, Arsenal (16 each) and Liverpool (12) won more Premier League games than Chelsea's 10 between the turn of the year and the end of the campaign, with their total of 43 goals in that time ranking them fifth among all teams in the division.
Chelsea's overall tally of 77 goals in 2023-24 was their third-most in a Premier League season, behind only their title-winning campaigns of 2009-10 (103) and 2016-17 (85).
Klopp planning private life after Liverpool exit, coaching return uncertain
Jurgen Klopp is planning to lead a private life after walking away from the Liverpool job, suggesting it is far from certain that he will return to management.
Liverpool beat Wolves 2-0 in Klopp's 334th and final Premier League game at the helm on Sunday, the German becoming the first permanent Reds boss to win his last match in charge since Matt McQueen in February 1928 (3-2 versus Derby County).
Upon announcing his departure in January, Klopp said he was "running out of energy", and he has repeatedly suggested a sabbatical is next after nine years in charge at Anfield.
On Sunday, he hinted a return to coaching was not a guarantee, despite rumours suggesting Bayern Munich or the Germany job could be next for him.
Before planning any future career moves, he intends to spend time with wife Ulla Sandrock, saying: "A private life must be planned and I didn't plan anything yet because I was here.
"Probably Ulla will update me on where we go but I follow happily.
"I have just finished this job. I don't know exactly why nobody believes I probably will not be a manager again but I understand because obviously it seems to be a drug, because everybody comes back and everyone works until they are 70-something. I have always had the idea I won't do that.
"Other people can do it in different ways, I have to be all-in, I have to be the spark, I have to be the energy, I have to be all these kinds of things and I'm empty.
"You only have to look outside which clubs are obviously available. There will be opportunities, but I don't sit here and think, 'maybe in a year's time I'll take that'.
"But look, it's not burning behind me and that gives me a good feeling."
Arsenal will win the Premier League if they keep pushing, says Arteta
Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal will win the Premier League if they "keep knocking" after losing out on the title to Manchester City on the final day.
The Gunners went into their game against Everton on Sunday needing to win, while also hoping for a City slip-up at home to West Ham to claim the trophy.
Despite doing their part – Kai Havertz scored a late winner to get Arsenal all three points – Pep Guardiola’s side also won to claim a historic fourth consecutive Premier League title.
For the second consecutive campaign, Arsenal finished second, and Arteta is now more determined to win it next season.
"First of all, to be really proud of the staff and those players," Arteta told Sky Sports. "They've done an incredible job and they have pushed every limit and every margin that we could to try to win this Premier League.
"Unfortunately, it's a bit short and we couldn't deliver the prize that we wanted. They [City] took it away from us. It's the second season.
"There's only one way to do it - you have to be more determined, you have to be more ambitious, you have to have a lot of courage and push every limit in everything that we have. That's the next step.
"If we do what we have to do, we're going to be closer and at the end we'll win it. When? I don't know, but if we keep knocking and being that close, in the end it will happen."
Arteta joined Guardiola’s coaching staff in 2016, winning five trophies including two Premier League titles, before taking over at Arsenal in December 2019.
Asked if it might take a 100-point season to finish above City, Arteta added: "Yeah. But I was there when we did 100 points [in 2017-18] so I know what it takes. I know what happened and this is the level.
"No one has to explain what the level is because I was there four years every day and I know what we have to do if we are going to reach there. Not only for one season but for the rest.
"We are on the right path, the right journey and to see the evolution so quickly happening, I haven't seen it before.
"So we're on the right trajectory and now we need to really pull the teeth and bite into it because we really want more."
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