On the Left Wing
KIT NAPIER
Front page of todays' Wrexham Evening Leader
read down .... well done guys!
REDS FANS REVOLT
WORRIED Wrexham fans have launched a major campaign to fight a possible bid to move their beloved club away from The Racecourse ground.
Banners have appeared throughout the town this morning and hundreds of people have already signed an online petition to oppose any move by Alexander Hamilton to take the club from the stadium.
And fans say the action is just the start of an ongoing campaign to ensure Wrexham remain at The Racecourse. They have vowed to pepper the town with banners to raise awareness of their concerns.
Mr Hamilton was made a director of the club at a board meeting last Thursday night and is expected to make is plans clear at a board meeting tonight.
He took control from outgoing chairman Mark Guterman, and, as reported by the Leader on Friday, Mr Hamilton assured fans the club would be playing at The Racecourse next season.
But the property developer made no longer term assurance, saying he did not know what the future holds and revealing the club owes the Inland Revenue more than £500,000.
Mr Hamilton’s involvement at the club and his association with Mr Guterman has sparked major concern among some supporters.
Diehard fans from the Red Passion website have set up an online petition which collected more than 500 signatures in less than 24 hours.
And banners have been placed at the Sainbury’s roundabout and outside The Racecourse proclaiming the stadium is for football – not property or shopping.
Lifelong fan Ruth Jones, who put up one banner, said: “I have been going to The Racecourse for years, first with my dad and now with my own family. It is the home of Wrexham FC and it is not right they can just knock it down.
“The fans will oppose this and the banners are just the start. We are Wrexham FC and we need to be told what’s going on. There are too many rumours flying around and the fans must be told what the situation is.”
Ruth’s sister, Sian Colclough, has been heavily involved in the internet campaign and has emailed everyone she knows to encourage them to sign up to the online petition, which calls for Wrexham Council, all North Wales MPs and AMs, and the Welsh and English FAs to “investigate and do all they can to halt the planned destruction of Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground for development purposes, as not only will the stadium be lost for Wrexham AFC but also for the people of North Wales as the future of Wrexham Football Club is at stake and also no more rugby or football international matches will be able to take place in North Wales”.
Sian said: “We are North Wales’ only senior team and we must have our own ground. The club is vital to the town and it is vital we stay on the site we already have.
“It is the fans who put their hands in their pockets to support the club and we have been kept in the dark with what is going on there.
“We must be told what the plans are, and the board must know we must stay at the Racecourse.
“The petition is popular and we have had support from all over the country, and the Brighton fans who got involved in the red card protest at The Racecourse say they have made a banner supporting us. They say they will have the banner at their play-off final game at Cardiff this weekend. If we all work together like this we can ensure the club stays at The Racecourse.”
Local politicians have already voiced their concern about the future plans for the club, with Wrexham MP Ian Lucas saying he would be contacting the board to ask for a meeting.
And this morning Wrexham AM John Marek said not “one square inch” of The Racecourse should be sold. He called for Wrexham Council to make a statement saying it would oppose any planning application to move the stadium.
read down .... well done guys!
REDS FANS REVOLT
WORRIED Wrexham fans have launched a major campaign to fight a possible bid to move their beloved club away from The Racecourse ground.
Banners have appeared throughout the town this morning and hundreds of people have already signed an online petition to oppose any move by Alexander Hamilton to take the club from the stadium.
And fans say the action is just the start of an ongoing campaign to ensure Wrexham remain at The Racecourse. They have vowed to pepper the town with banners to raise awareness of their concerns.
Mr Hamilton was made a director of the club at a board meeting last Thursday night and is expected to make is plans clear at a board meeting tonight.
He took control from outgoing chairman Mark Guterman, and, as reported by the Leader on Friday, Mr Hamilton assured fans the club would be playing at The Racecourse next season.
But the property developer made no longer term assurance, saying he did not know what the future holds and revealing the club owes the Inland Revenue more than £500,000.
Mr Hamilton’s involvement at the club and his association with Mr Guterman has sparked major concern among some supporters.
Diehard fans from the Red Passion website have set up an online petition which collected more than 500 signatures in less than 24 hours.
And banners have been placed at the Sainbury’s roundabout and outside The Racecourse proclaiming the stadium is for football – not property or shopping.
Lifelong fan Ruth Jones, who put up one banner, said: “I have been going to The Racecourse for years, first with my dad and now with my own family. It is the home of Wrexham FC and it is not right they can just knock it down.
“The fans will oppose this and the banners are just the start. We are Wrexham FC and we need to be told what’s going on. There are too many rumours flying around and the fans must be told what the situation is.”
Ruth’s sister, Sian Colclough, has been heavily involved in the internet campaign and has emailed everyone she knows to encourage them to sign up to the online petition, which calls for Wrexham Council, all North Wales MPs and AMs, and the Welsh and English FAs to “investigate and do all they can to halt the planned destruction of Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground for development purposes, as not only will the stadium be lost for Wrexham AFC but also for the people of North Wales as the future of Wrexham Football Club is at stake and also no more rugby or football international matches will be able to take place in North Wales”.
Sian said: “We are North Wales’ only senior team and we must have our own ground. The club is vital to the town and it is vital we stay on the site we already have.
“It is the fans who put their hands in their pockets to support the club and we have been kept in the dark with what is going on there.
“We must be told what the plans are, and the board must know we must stay at the Racecourse.
“The petition is popular and we have had support from all over the country, and the Brighton fans who got involved in the red card protest at The Racecourse say they have made a banner supporting us. They say they will have the banner at their play-off final game at Cardiff this weekend. If we all work together like this we can ensure the club stays at The Racecourse.”
Local politicians have already voiced their concern about the future plans for the club, with Wrexham MP Ian Lucas saying he would be contacting the board to ask for a meeting.
And this morning Wrexham AM John Marek said not “one square inch” of The Racecourse should be sold. He called for Wrexham Council to make a statement saying it would oppose any planning application to move the stadium.