Foundation Director Aled Lewis on how strategic grassroots facility investment underpins the success of professional football…
When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham AFC in November 2020, global attention instantly followed.
What began as a high-profile takeover and later a ‘hit’ documentary quickly translated into something far more meaningful for the local community including a surge in football participation and pride.
This surge in attention has not happened in isolation. It has built upon nearly a decade of strategic planning and partnership working, initiated from 2016/17 by the Football Association of Wales in collaboration with Wrexham County Borough Council and local football partners (North East Wales Football Association and the Wrexham FC Community Foundation).
Originally driven by the need to address deteriorating facilities, limited maintenance capacity, and fragmented provision across the local area, this early work established the first local authority area football facilities vision and plan focused on developing better club ground, 3G Club Hub as well as coordinated central venue league management models. A clear vision and delivery model for grassroots football facilities, ensuring the area was prepared to respond to rising demand.
Crucially, this meant that when global attention arrived, Wrexham already had the partnerships, plans and delivery mechanisms in place to translate interest into sustainable community impact.
A community eager to play, but limited by facilities
At the outset, back in 2017, just over 2% of the local population were playing football regularly. By 2020, and following the introduction of a new player regsitartion system, it was confirmed that just 2.3% of the local population, equating to 3125 players, were playing regularly. Opportunities for women and girls were particularly constrained, with only 226 female players registered. 7% of players recorded being female.
Following the takeover later that year, interest soared across all age groups. But Wrexham’s football infrastructure continued to need significant investment in improvements to meet rising demand. Before the establishment of the football partnership and shared vision, the community had:
- 1 full-size community 3G artificial grass pitch
- Nearly 30 poor‑quality grass pitches
- 13 ageing and sub-standard changing facilities
However, excitement alone couldn’t address the structural limitations. Meaningful growth required investment and a coordinated, long-term approach.
Strategic Investment: The role of the Cymru Football Foundation
The Cymru Football Foundation (CFF) has been central to transforming Wrexham’s grassroots footballing landscape.
Working in partnership with Wrexham County Borough Council, Football Association of Wales and North East Wales FA, the Cymru Football Foundation has directly invested £1.1m from UK Government, Welsh Government and Football Association of Wales funding, whilst leveraging £1.65m of additional partner investment to deliver a £2.75m funding package in targeted communities that were suffering from a lack of facility provision.
This investment has already delivered:
- 3 new full-size community 3G artificial grass pitches
- 2 new small-sided artificial pitches
- Improved education, training and equipment to improve the quality of grassroots club’s grass pitches
- Increased capacity for clubs, schools and community groups
These upgrades have not only expanded access but have also enabled football clubs in Wrexham to become stronger and more sustainable.
Participation Growth in 2025: Bringing Wrexham closer to the game
In 2025, participation levels grew to 4,202 players, driven by improved access and quality of local facilities. This includes:
- 603 female players – a 166% increase since 2020
- 3,599 male players – a 25% increase since 2020
Among children and young people, football is becoming part of everyday life. This means around 3% of Wrexham’s population are playing football regularly:
- 16% of local children now play football
- 15% of young people regularly participate
This reflects not only increased demand, but new opportunities created through investment and collaboration.
Real-World Outcomes: £3.3m of Impact Every Year
The transformation of Wrexham’s football infrastructure is already delivering significant social value across the community:
- Health Benefits: £392,000 a year – improved fitness, reduced illness, and fewer pressures on local health services.
- Wellbeing Benefits: £2.73m a year – The largest source of value comes from improved wellbeing – increased happiness, reduced loneliness, and stronger community connections.
- Financial and Social Benefits: £200,000 a year – football helps people stay in education and work as well as supporting safer, more positive communities.
On average, each person playing football at these facilities contributes £785 of value every year.
Key Learning: Demand alone is not enough
Wrexham’s story demonstrates a simple but important truth:
Creating demand is one thing – meeting it requires a clear evidence-based vision and plan, committed partnerships and the right infrastructure.
The combination of priority needs, local ambition, robust partnerships and planning informing strategic investment from public, private and third-sector partners boosted by global interest in the ‘Wrexham Story’, has ensured that Wrexham’s football boom is both sustainable and inclusive.
The global spotlight has provided the ‘icing on the cake’ – accelerating progress built on strong local planning, partnership and long-term investment in the best possible places to play as a driver of community wellbeing.
