An exhibition showcasing images taken during the Homeless World Cup has opened at Wrexham Museum – the future home of the new Football Museum Wales.
The exhibition, titled Dragons Warriors – Dreigiau Rufelwyr, features a selection of photographs, taken by South Wales based photographer, Nigel Whitbread, during the 2019 Homeless World Cup, which took place in Bute Park, Cardiff.
The launch of the exhibition comes just a day ahead of the start of the 2023 Homeless World Cup, which kicks off in Sacramento, California, this Saturday.
Nigel describes the exhibition: “More than 500 players representing over 50 countries travelled to South Wales in 2019 to attend the week-long free festival of football which took place in Cardiff’s iconic Bute Park, right in the heart of the Welsh capital.
“The images contained in the exhibition aim to reflect at its core and represent a cross section of homeless people. How they are all, despite their differences, trying to overcome the isolation from the rest of society, and how taking part in the Homeless World Cup gives them a sense of empowerment and the knowledge that they are part of something bigger than themselves.”
“As you browse the pictures, I hope that you will not view the guy or girl on the street in a stereotypical way, as people in doorways asking for money, but simply as people who have no home to go to. Please appreciate that there is a story to be told about each one of them as to why they are where they are and to understand that there are ways people can change their situation for the better given the right support.”
Football as a force for good
Lead Member for Partnerships and Community Safety at Wrexham County Borough Council, Councillor Paul Roberts, said: “We are delighted to present this exhibition at Wrexham Museum, the future home of the Football Museum for Wales.
“This powerful collection of photos is well worth seeing up close. They are an inspiring example of how football can be used as a force for good, to empower communities and draw attention to urgent social issues.”
Dragons Warriors – Dreigiau Rufelwyr is now on show on the forecourt at Wrexham Museum.
The new football museum is being developed alongside a totally refurbished Wrexham Museum. Both will exist side by side in the current museum building on Regent Street – a brand new national attraction in Wrexham city centre.
The new football museum will celebrate Welsh football, past and present, in all its diversity, from grassroots clubs to the national teams, as well as highlighting Wrexham’s historic achievements in the sport and celebrating the rich heritage of the County Borough.
New galleries will be created to display the Wrexham Museum collections, which means an enhanced experience for visitors and a first-class, modern venue for discovering the fascinating and eventful story of our region of North East Wales.
The origin stories of six Welsh football clubs are to be told in a brand new series of short films.
The films have been funded by Welsh Government and produced by the team at the new Football Museum for Wales (currently being developed inside Wrexham Museum as part of the Museum of Two Halves project), working with Cardiff based media company, EatSleep Media.
Each film clocks in at around 15 minutes and features exclusive, candid interviews with key individuals from the clubs and the communities who support them.
Six clubs agreed to be filmed for the project, representing the six area associations across Wales.
The clubs documented are Caernarfon Town FC (supporters club, North Wales Coast FA) , Ruthin Town FC (youth football, North East Wales FA), Aberystwyth Town Ladies FC (amateur women’s team, Central Wales FA), Merthyr Town (club playing in English league system, Gwent County FA), Pontyclun FC (amateur men’s team, South Wales FA), African Community Centre AFC (inclusion club, West Wales FA).
The films will be premiered individually at a number of events taking place across Wales over the summer. The films will also be made available to view for free on our brand new youtube channel, following each premiere.
‘Football is still a community game in Wales’
Accompanying the filming crew on their travels around Wales were the Football Museum Wales Engagement Officers, Shôn Lewis and Delwyn Derrick.
Delwyn shared his experience of creating the films: “This project has been an amazing experience. We went out to tell the stories of the origins of clubs from across all regions and all levels of football in Wales. We didn’t have a massive production crew, we didn’t have a special effects budget, we didn’t even have an umbrella between us one particular day of filming, but what we did have was a story.
“We spent time at clubs with over a hundred years of history and clubs who have only just started their Welsh football journey, but the story that I found fascinating, inspiring and surprising in equal measure, was that no matter the age of the club, the level of the club or the geography of the club, it seems that every football club in Wales has that small group of hardworking, dedicated and passionate volunteers.
“I wasn’t uninspired when we started these films, but I have come away from them even more inspired than ever before. Football is still a community game in Wales and I think that’s great, because if it’s a community game, then that means that it’s still our game, played for the love of the football. The last couple of months have been an absolute whirlwind of late nights, early mornings, cold wind, colder rain and literal hours of travel, but every second of it done with a smile.”
A platform for Welsh clubs to have voices heard
Lead Member for Partnerships and Community Safety at Wrexham County Borough Council, Councillor Paul Roberts, said: “The new football museum may be being developed in Wrexham – the spiritual home of Welsh football – but it’s mission will be to tell the story of football across the whole country, from grassroots community clubs, all the way up to the national teams.
“This project is a superb example of the engagement work the new museum will be carrying out. As well as documenting an important aspect of Welsh football heritage, the films have also given a platform for the communities who support these clubs to have their voices heard and to share some very thought provoking insights and experiences on what it’s like to run a football team in Wales.
“The films make for compelling viewing and I’d encourage everyone to take a look as they are released online over the next few months.”
Find out more
Each film will be available to watch on our YouTube channel following its premiere.
You can join the Football Museum mailing list to receive updates about the project, more stories from Welsh football history, plus information about how you can get involved.
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A further £5.4m is being provided by Welsh Government for the development of the new Football Museum for Wales in Wrexham, the spiritual home of Welsh football.
The funding is part of an agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.
Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden made the announcement on a visit to the city and comes at a time when interest in Welsh football is at an all-time high.
The development of the new Football Museum is part of a wider project that will see the current Wrexham Museum building on Regent Street fully refurbished and transformed into a ‘museum of two halves’ – a major new national attraction for the city centre.
The Football Museum half of the building will celebrate Welsh football, past and present, in all its diversity, from grassroots clubs to the national teams, as well as highlighting Wrexham’s historic achievements in the sport and celebrating the rich heritage of the County Borough.
Meanwhile, in the same building, new galleries will be created to display the Wrexham Museum collections, which means an enhanced experience for visitors and a first-class, modern venue for discovering the fascinating and eventful story of our region of North East Wales.
Celebrating Wrexham’s ‘unique cultural heritage’
Lead Member for Partnerships and Community Safety at Wrexham County Borough Council, Councillor Paul Roberts, said, “I’d like to thank the Welsh Government for their continued support for Wrexham, the spiritual home of football, to continue to develop the Football Museum for Wales.
“This is a really exciting project as football plays such a large part in our culture and identity and the people of Wrexham and across Wales can now be assured that the Welsh Football Collection will be preserved for present and future generations in Wales.
“This will be developed alongside a new museum for Wrexham which is currently home to a large and interesting collection of historical objects which shows the unique cultural heritage of Wrexham.”
‘We are now at a very exciting stage’
Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden said: “Wrexham is the birthplace of Welsh football so it’s the ideal location to celebrate the sport’s heritage.
“We have seen many successes, especially in recent years, in men’s and women’s football, and ensuring the dramatic and emotive events on the international stage, the history and development of club football in Wales and the spirit and diversity of the Welsh football community is told in one place will be vital for present and future generations.
“The new museum will become a key venue in the city as well as for North Wales’ tourist and visitor offer. It also comes at an exciting time for Wrexham AFC as they aim to get back into the Football League.
“I am grateful to all our partners who we continue to work closely with on this project including Wrexham County Borough Council and the FAW.
“We are now at a very exciting stage and the funding announced today, subject to conditions and approval of a Full Business Case in due course, will see community and pan-Wales engagement on the project continue as well as developing the content, collections and exhibitions through to construction and opening of the new Football Museum for Wales.”
‘Working together to make it happen’
Many themes will be showcased at the Football Museum for Wales in Wrexham including Welsh language communities, fan culture, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities and LGBTQ+ experiences.
Since 2020, more than £800,000 in Welsh Government funding has already ensured the appointment of a dedicated Football Curator and Engagement Officers, the progression of designs, and a pan-Wales public engagement and community consultation to develop proposed plans and content.
Designated Member Siân Gwenllian said: “We have all seen the pride and joy the national team has brought us in recent years and how important football is to Wales.
“This redeveloped museum will celebrate our nation’s contribution to the game and the heritage and legacy it provides for us all. Wrexham, a city steeped in football history, is a fitting home for this exciting project and I am delighted we are working together to make it happen.”
Find out more
You can join the Football Museum mailing list to receive updates about the project, latest blog articles (see below), plus information about how you can get involved.
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As plans to build a brand new Football Museum for Wales alongside a fully refurbished and reimagined Wrexham Museum continue to progress, we’re now delighted to be able to share the latest designs.
In this quick guide we’ll give you a tour of the various new galleries and spaces that will form the Football Museum and introduce some of the ideas for the content, themes and stories you’ll be able to discover on your visit.
All images and artist’s impressions courtesy of Hayley Sharpe Design.
Brand new galleries and spaces are also being designed for the refurbished Wrexham Museum. You can read all about those design plans here.
The tour starts here:
The plans envisage a double height atrium at the heart of the museum building on Regent Street in Wrexham (see above). Here you will encounter the ‘museum of two halves’. Full height LED display screens, with object and image displays providing a flavour of what is to come.
Image: artist’s impression by HSD.
The football museum will be about people. It will be engaging, sensory, accessible, dynamic, informative, enjoyable and above all Welsh. If it was a stick of rock the letters running through it would spell CYMRU.
There’ll be an immersive experience at the start of the football galleries on the first floor of the museum introducing the birthplace of Welsh football and inspired by those experiences at the start of every match.
The first football gallery (above) will cover the domestic game: the grassroots, the clubs you support week in week out through thick and thin and the challenges women’s football has faced since the beginning of the game in Wales. Do you know any lesser-known clubs with a great history? If you do, tell us!
The middle gallery explores the fortunes of our national teams since 1876. Choose your favourite moments. Explore the ‘Heartbreak and Glory’ object timeline. Which key moments do you think we should aim to include? Interactives on the laws of the game and a challenge for the football know-alls. There’ll be space for a case devoted to the latest in the game.
The far gallery is all about the supporters and the true spirit of the game and its importance to our country. Match journeys and match memories. Singing for Wales, fan fashion, celebration and commiserations, and finally the fight to save your club. With loads more activities for kids, big and small.
Our Engagement Officers will be gathering material for this gallery and the other two over the coming year.
Next steps
2023 is shaping up to be very exciting year as the project continues to make fantastic progress.
The valuable feedback we received in our recent consultation sessions will be used to help inform the next stage of design work. We’ll be keeping you updated on this via this blog and our social media channels.
We recently held consultation events to gather feedback on the new design plans for the Football Museum and refurbished Wrexham Museum.
The design plans were put on display for public viewing at an open day event, held at Wrexham Museum.
Members of the museum and design teams attended the events to discuss the plans with visitors and gather thoughts and suggestions.
We organised an online presentation to enable a wider audience to view and comment on the design plans.
We also consulted with the various football specialist and community focus groups that we’ve assembled to work alongside us throughout the design process.
All the sessions included a presentation/display of the latest proposals and an opportunity for questions and feedback.
Your thoughts
Here are some of the highlights from the dozens of comments submitted at the various sessions….
Loyalties & Rivalries
“It would be good to see more about the rise of women’s football and that there is still a long way to go for all clubs to have a women’s team. Historic material related to this may have been lost.”
“The grassroots football film could include regional tournaments or the community cup that exists in Wales. The gallery also needs to show stories from diverse clubs including refugees / asylum seekers, LGBTQ+ community and those with a range of disabilities.”
Heartbreak and Glory
“It would be good to look at how press/media have covered Wales teams across time, as coverage was previously very negative and now it is all positive. Welsh teams and fan communities have prevailed despite this.”
“It would be good to show the experiences behind the scenes and all the different processes involved in setting up for a match e.g. use of clappers during the match and the process of design / manufacture”
Education
Teachers suggested that it would be great to get children to input in the design process and a number of teachers said they would like their schools to be involved in this.
Wayfinding throughout the galleries could also be playful and potentially incorporated into the flooring.
Suggestions for additional interactive elements included:
Ability to commentate on game
Within the galleries or externally there should be the opportunity to kick a football.
The themes within the galleries tie in well with the Welsh Curriculum and a wide variety of subjects could be taught using the galleries.
Accessibility
Acoustics of the gallery spaces to be considered in development.
Provide good light levels along circulation routes.
Consideration of how the visitor welcome incorporates BSL to let visitors know it is used and that they are welcome – this could be done in-person or on a screen.
Wrexham History
Suggestions for additional themes / stories which could be included in the Wrexham galleries included:
The canal and railway connections which have supported the growth of the city.
Religion and diversity
The ‘black’ years when Wrexham felt “downtrodden” and “undervalued”
The galleries should be used to help signpost visitors to other heritage / cultural sites around Wrexham e.g. Bersham.
The links with Tŷ Pawb are important as this venue is seen as a multi-cultural hub which helps to brings diverse communities together and highlights the changing identity of Wrexham.
Next steps
The project is continuing to make fantastic progress. Your valuable feedback will be used to help inform the next stage of design work. We’ll be keeping you updated on this via this blog and our social media channels.
As the work to build a new Football Museum for Wales in Wrexham continues to progress, we’re now delighted to be able to introduce you to the two newest members of our team.
Delwyn Derrick and Shôn Lewis have recently been appointed as the new Engagement Officers for the Football Museum Wales project.
Their mission will be to travel across Wales and reach out to football communities, clubs, players, fans and other individuals and groups involved with the game. Through building connections and collecting stories, Shôn and Delwyn’s work will help ensure that the new museum can truly represent Welsh football heritage in all its diversity, from our grass roots clubs, all the way up to the national teams and their historic achievements.
We invited Shon and Delwyn to tell us a little about how they first became engaged with Welsh football, why the new Football Museum project excites their imaginations and which aspect of the engagement work they are looking forward to the most….
O Chwith i’r dde / From left to right: Shôn Lewis + Delwyn Derrick
Delwyn Derrick
How did you first get interested in football and what are your early memories of watching Welsh football?
“I’ve always enjoyed football but my interest went far beyond just being a hobby back in 2016 when I started my own club here in Wrexham. I have since moved more into the administrative side of football, having a seat on the North East Wales FA and being voted onto the management committee and as chair of the senior football development committee.
“As with most football fans in Wrexham, my first experiences of football were at The Racecourse and it was there that I first saw Wales play in a friendly match against Wrexham in 1998. It was a few years after that when I started discovering grassroots football and I’ve been hooked on the community game ever since.”
Tell us why you think its time Wales had its own football museum…
“I’m excited to see Wales finally have a football museum and I’m thrilled that it’s going to be in Wrexham where the FAW was first founded in 1876. In a sense, the museum being based in the town where the national team started is our own version of football coming home, but it’s also really important that the rest of Wales see it that way and feel part of this journey even if they don’t live in Wrexham.
“For me the Welsh team has always been my second team. When I was younger I supported Wrexham and then Wales. I think that’s what sets us apart from other nations in a way is that the national team is more like our second local team, which is what’s great about a small nation that dreams big and can sing even bigger.
“Our football story is ours and being able to tell the whole of that story in one place, not to the fans, but with the fans, it’s something that we all need.”
What are you looking forward to the most in your new role as engagement officer?
“As an engagement officer, my role is literally going out across Wales, talking to people about a country and a sporting history that I’m passionate about and incredibly proud of. I firmly believe that I have the best job in the world and even in the very short time that I’ve been here, I’ve been able to talk about the museum project and what we are hoping to achieve with some of my childhood heroes like Brian Flynn, Ian Rush and Rob Earnshaw, but I’ve also been meeting some really interesting people in domestic football who’ve told me stories and shown me objects from some of Wales’ history that could have easily been lost.
“Being an engagement officer for a project that is already engaging so many people is amazing and I’m looking forward to digging even deeper and finding people with stories to tell that nobody has told before. What I’m looking forward to the most, is what comes next. Welsh football isn’t done yet and whatever happens tomorrow, the day after it becomes history and part of my job is recording and protecting that for generations to come. It’s a huge responsibility and a dream come true at the same time.”
Shôn Lewis
How did you first get interested in football and what are your early memories of watching Welsh football?
“My earliest memories of football were going to watch a local side called Mountain Rangers, during the mid-80’s they played in the field behind my home in Bontnewydd.
“Even though I was brought up an Everton fan the higher levels of the professional game were a distant, disconnected fantasy to my peers and I, only accessible via television watching the results come in or seeing them compete with Liverpool at the top of Division 1 on the Big Match (well it was the 80’s!) or in Wrexham, Cardiff & Swansea’s case Soccer Sunday on HTV Wales.”
“My first tangible connection with professional football however came in 1991, seeing my dad watching tv where Rush and Southall play together in red and be victorious against Germany.
“From that day to this I haven’t missed a kick on my 31 year journey as my team plumbed the depths of international football and rose to the heights of qualification to Euro 2016, 2020 & Qatar.
“Today I can comfortably say I’m not a fan of any club side, to me international football is the pinnacle of the game and as such anything and everything to do with domestic Welsh football ultimately feeds into it. As I always say, my club is Wales…the only side that I feel truly represents me as a fan, also the only side that can make me feel sick before, during and (if we lose) after a match…but the highs are so, so worth it!”
Tell us why you think its time Wales had its own football museum…
“Wales has a unique footballing history due to its economic, cultural and political structure, football in the north and south developed almost independently of each other and the game here in Wales has a very fragmented history as a result, but it’s a story that needs and deserves to be told.
“To finally be able to give it a ‘home’ in Wrexham where the FAW was founded is amazing not only for the history of the game in Wales but also its future.
“The museum is uniquely placed in this regard, especially today when Welsh football identity has never been stronger, so to have a museum at the ready to document everything as we travel through the most successful period in Welsh football history is vital.
“There are multiple sides to every story and football is no different, hopefully the museum can become a place where all of our stories are kept and made available for future generations to come and see, and perhaps find their own truth about Welsh football and its history.
“Our individual introductions to football, our experiences growing up with it as fans and our reasons for falling in love with the game are all going to be different and are usually tied into our localities and upbringing, and even though I’m only a few weeks in I’ve heard so many amazing stories and viewpoints from people in different parts of Wales that I was previously unaware of.
What are you looking forward to the most in your new role as engagement officer?
“I’m really looking forward to going out into communities throughout Wales, discussing and recording people’s stories about their own local football histories, seeing what’s out there and then bringing it all back into the museum to help make it truly representative of all of Wales, telling our stories as Welsh football fans and our unique footballing culture and history in both our languages.”
If you’d like have any Welsh football stories or items you’d like to bring to our attention, you can get in touch by emailing footballmuseumwales@wrexham.gov.uk
The new ‘museum of two halves’ is going to be a major new national attraction for Wrexham City Centre, celebrating Welsh football, past and present, in all its diversity, alongside an enhanced, first-class venue for discovering the fascinating and eventful story of our region of north-east Wales.
We’re now delighted to be able to share the latest design plans.
There will be an opportunity to come and view the plans in person at Wrexham Museum, this October.
Alternatively, you’ll be able to watch a online presentation of the plans, delivered by the design team.
Open Day at Wrexham Museum
The event will be an opportunity to view large scale, illustrated displays of the design plans for the new museums.
You’ll also be able to speak to the project design team in person, ask questions and offer feedback and suggestions.
This will be family friendly event. The new museums are being designed to appeal to visitors of all ages so we’d love to see as many children and families as possible coming along to come see the plans and let us know what they think!
The open day event will take place on Wednesday 26th October at Wrexham Museum on Regent Street.
There will be two opportunities to attend on the day. An afternoon session from 1.30pm-3.30pm and an evening session from 6pm-8pm. Everyone is welcome to attend either session – or both.
We’ve organised an interactive online presentation to take place on Monday 24th October from 6.30pm-8.00pm.
During the event, the design team will guide you through the latest illustrated plans for the new museums, including the revamped public spaces, galleries and other new features of the building.
You’ll also be able to see and hear about some of the planned exhibits and activities.
You’ll be able to ask questions about the project during the event via the chat box. The team will try to answer as many as possible.
Public feedback has helped ‘inform latest design plans’
Cllr Paul Roberts, Lead Member for Partnerships and Community Safety said: “The design team have been making great progress with the plans for the new museums so we’re delighted to offer this opportunity for the public to come and view the proposals up close, and online, and speak to the team in person.
“Over 500 people took part in the public consultation last year. The feedback received has helped inform the latest design plans and we’ve also assembled a number of specialist and community focus groups who are working closely with us throughout the project.”
“This is a huge development for Wrexham city centre which promises to attract new visitors from around the country and beyond so I hope as many people as possible will make the most of the opportunity to view the plans at this key stage of its development.”
We’ve received the fantastic news that we’ve been awarded a £45,000 development grant to progress plans for the Museum of Two Halves – the Football Museum for Wales by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The award offers us the opportunity to secure a further grant of over £2 million to complete the project.
This means the plans to refurbish the Grade 2 listed Wrexham Museum building to be both a local history museum and a nationally styled football museum with improved facilities and new off-site collections store can now move forward with confidence.
The grant will help the project team to develop its plan of events, activities and learning programmes that will ensure the new museum will serve not just communities across Wrexham County Borough, but also throughout Wales.
The new Football Museum galleries will provide a permanent display space for the every growing Welsh Football Collection for the first time since it was established in 2000.
The two part museum will see the whole two storey building brought back into use increasing its potential as a hub for learning, enjoyment and well-being attracting an estimated 80,000 visitors annually.
Cllr Paul Roberts, Lead Member for Partnerships and Community Safety, said, “This is brilliant news for Wrexham and I look forward to receiving updates on progress and to eventually enjoying visiting the Museum of Two Halves – The Football Museum for Wales and the new Wrexham Museum.”
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Cllr Mark Pritchard, Leader of the Council said, “Once again we have reason to celebrate in Wrexham and this excellent news is especially welcome. I would like to thank all the staff involved in bringing the project this far and also the National Lottery Heritage Fund for their recognition of the football sporting heritage in Wales and here in Wrexham – the spiritual home of football.”
Andrew White, Director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales said, “We’re excited to award this development grant to the Museum of Two Halves – the Football Museum for Wales. This investment will allow the Wrexham County Borough Council to develop a plan for the project that they can pitch to us for further funding to deliver on the dream.”
Ian Bancroft, the Chair of the steering group for the project added “The new galleries will capture the passion, the emotion and the experience that football fans have felt for the game ever since the Football Association of Wales (FAW) was formed in 1876 at Wrexham’s Wynnstay Arms Hotel.
“The timing of the project could not be better with the FAWs 150th anniversary in 2026 and the recent qualification of the national football team for the World Cup.”
Bird’s eye view concept drawing of the planned galleries for the Football Museum for Wales
Cymru qualifying for the World Cup, City Status, a City of Culture bid, Wrexham AFC playing at Wembley and just miss out on promotion in the first full season Rob and Ryan have taken charge as owners, Kop Development plans, that Mullin Goal, Tŷ Pawb shortlisted for Museum of The Year!
There’s been so much happening in Wrexham recently that it’s easy to forget that plans are progressing to create the Football Museum for Wales alongside a new Wrexham Museum on Regent Street in Wrexham.
Wrexham is the spiritual home of Welsh Football and our ambitious plans intend to make Wrexham a site of football fan pilgrimage! Football is part of the community and everyday life for many people so it makes sense to create a visitor experience that brings sporting heritage and community heritage together.
The museum’s staff, Haley Sharpe Design, Purcell (Architects) as well as other important project partners have been progressing the designs for Wales’s National Football museum, with work proceeding apace over the past few months.
The new double-height courtyard with visual images and film display based around the theme of Together Stronger: Wales, Wrexham & Football.
The architects and designers have worked out plans that envisage:
The current main gallery returned to its original use as a courtyard hub, but enclosed and providing a lift and stairs to the first floor.
The Football Museum for Wales being centred around Court No.1 (the large courtroom)
The Wrexham Museum focusing on Court No.2 and the eastern side of the museum building.
A new learning and community hub on the forecourt, providing for the first time ever a flexible up to date and fully accessible learning and events space for use by schools, community groups and for holiday activities
An enlarged temporary exhibitions gallery extending out into the former exercise yard
A children’s zone on the ground floor
A quieter introductory area for those who benefit from such places
An expanded café providing additional seating in the re-purposed archives office, alongside the seating in the front extension and spreading into the forecourt
A larger shop allowing the museum to sell football and Wales related souvenirs, especially targeted at day trippers and holiday makers.
The project team have been consulting with groups representing football supporters, historians, people involved in learning, disabled people, and a diverse range of community groups and individuals who like visiting museums. Their feedback is already informing design and content to help ensure the new museum will be the best it can possibly be.
The concept designs for the football galleries envisage visitors entering via an introductory immersive experience creating an engaging atmosphere for the story of football and the story of Wales to be told through football…
View into the Loyalties & Rivalries of club football zone of the football museum galleries
From there, they will emerge into Court No.1, the largest space in the museum. This space will divide into three broad areas:
Loyalties & Rivalries which will focus on football in Wales at club level, from the big clubs down to grassroots level.
Heartbreak & Glory, which will tell the story of the Welsh men’s and women’s teams and their roller-coaster fortunes over the years
On the Terrace, which is where we focus on the fans and culture of Welsh football and include even more interactivity for younger visitors.
Bird’s eye view concept drawing of the planned galleries for the Football Museum for Wales
There is a lot more work to go into these designs, involving not just the museum staff and the consultation panels we have established, but people right across Wales, not least through the work of the Engagement Officers who will be recruited over the summer to act as roving ambassadors for the football museum.
As in the football galleries, visitors will initially enter the Wrexham Museum galleries through an introductory immersive zone that will highlight the kaleidoscopic story of Wrexham.
The Wrexham Museum galleries will be based around five themes connected to the people and places of the county borough:
Beginnings – here the focus is on archaeology, with a re-display of Brymbo Man, the Bronze Age and Roman material
Trade & Industry – this room will focus on our industrial and agricultural heritage, the development of the market town of Wrexham and the world of work in Wrexham.
Conflict & Struggle – this theme is about both industrial struggle and setbacks, and also the World Wars and their impact on Wrexham and its people.
Daily Life – this section is dedicated to topics such as changes in the home, the stages of life, health and medicine, and leisure and free time
Communities – the final theme gallery will tell the stories of the many different groups that make up Wrexham, including the Penley Poles, Portuguese, the Wrexham diaspora, and cultural festivals.
Lead Member for museums,Cllr Paul Robertssaid: “Overall much has been achieved, but there is so much more to do to ensure that we, with the help and support of people and communities from Wrexham and across Wales, working together, can create a Football Museum for Wales and a new Wrexham Museum fit for the spiritual home of Welsh football and Wales’s newest city.”
Chair of the Football Museum Steering Group Ian Bancroft said: “It really is an exciting time for football in Wales and Wrexham, the spiritual home of Welsh football. “Football plays a huge part in our identity, culture and heritage.”It’s great to see plans for the Wrexham Museum and Welsh football museum developing as we look forward to the delivery of this exciting project in 2025.”
Football Association of Wales (FAW) donate match worn shirts and other FAW football memorabilia to the Welsh Football museum and offer their backing for Wrexham Counties bit to become UK City of Culture in 2025 #Wrecsam2025.in pic FAW President Steve Williams visits Wrexham Museum to hand deliver FAW football memorabilia to Nick Jones - Welsh Football Museum officer. The haul includes signed players shirts as well as a treasure trove of articles including one of only 10 footballs produced and used at Gary Speed's memorial game against Costa Rica.
The museum was pleased to receive a further donation from the FAW in January, particularly some shirts with a Wrexham theme.
From the World Cup qualifying match v Estonia (which Wales won 1-0 in Tallinn on 11 October), we have received signed match worn shirts from Harry Wilson, Danny Ward and Neco Williams – all Wrexham born.
They were presented to the museum by FAW President Steve Williams at the recent match between Bellevue FC and North Wales Police Wrexham Town, which took place at Colliers Park in support of Wrexham’s bid to be UK City of Culture in 2025.
Collecting contemporary material is of real importance to the museum as it helps to interpret recent events which are fresh in people’s minds. The shirts are a great addition to our growing Welsh Football Collection!
