Stadium for the North campaign welcome UEFA report recommendation that Wales team ‘rotate’

A campaign launched to bring top-level sporting events back to the north of Wales has welcomed a recommendation in a new UEFA report that the Wales men’s football team “rotate” around Wales.

The report based on polling by Nielsen for UEFA found that 30% of Wales fans interviewed said that the games happened too far away.

Fans in the north of Wales have faced an almost 10 hour round trip to get down to Cardiff City Stadium before kick-off and back.

“30% of fans mention matches take place too far away,” the UEFA report said. “Rotate the venue to help reach fans in other parts of the country.”

Spencer Harris, part of the Stadium for the North team, said that the report highlighted the “strategic importance” of the UK government investing in an international sports stadium in the north of Wales.

Wrexham County Borough Council are preparing to make a bid for funding to redevelop the Racecourse stadium as part of ‘the Wrexham Gateway’ plan.

The ground is currently too small to host senior football Internationals and needs improvements to bring it up to UEFA ‘Category 4’ standards.

The Stadium for the North campaign have set up a petition aimed at supporting the funding bid to bring international football and rugby back to the Racecourse Ground.

‘Upgrade’

“Football is now the #1 sport in Wales and interest is increasing across all ages,” Spencer Harris of the Stadium for the North campaign told Nation.Cymru. “It is critical that we level up Wales from a Sporting perspective.

“The cost and 4hr+ journey for every single international game means that large parts of our country are excluded from access to international sport. The UK Government has an opportunity to put this right by approving the Levelling Up application from Wrexham Council for the Racecourse Ground.

“If approved the Racecourse Ground would be redeveloped to increase the capacity with a new 5,500 KOP Stand along with the necessary upgrade to floodlighting and media facilities.

“Th Welsh Government has already purchased the land around the Racecourse to enable the development and it is critical people use their voice and show how strongly they feel by signing a register of support that will be presented to the UK Government.”

The campaign is supported by people across Wales including former Football Internationals Mickey Thomas, Malcolm Allen and John Hartson.

Supporters can follow the campaign on Twitter and Facebook.