Wrexham Heritage

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….

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

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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.”

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 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…

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.

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 Roberts said: “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.”

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!

The nation is gearing up for vital World Cup play-offs in March, which we hope will end in Wales’s qualification for a first finals appearance since 1958.

Saturday 5 February marks the anniversary of the last time Wales qualified for a World Cup finals, some 64 years ago, with a unique set of circumstances helping them to Sweden.

Wales had finished second to Czechoslovakia in their qualifying group and were seemingly eliminated until FIFA handed them another chance. Israel had advanced from their qualification zone but without playing a match; several opponents withdrawing from the competition for political reasons.

FIFA introduced a rule that a team couldn’t qualify without playing a match and organised a play-off with Wales drawn (out of nine names) to play Israel, the winner progressing to the 1958 finals.

On 15 January, Wales travelled to Israel for the first leg and won 2-0, with goals in each half from Ivor Allchurch and Dave Bowen. The second leg at Ninian Park on 5 February saw a repeat of the score line, with late goals from Allchurch again and Cliff Jones securing a 4-0 overall victory and finals qualification.

The second leg is also noteworthy, coming as it did a day before the Munich Air Disaster.

The pictured shirt was worn by full back Alan Harrington in the second leg at Ninian Park. It was acquired when the Welsh Football Collection was first established at the museum in 2000.

Harrington is a Cardiff City legend who played his whole career at the club (348 appearances) and gained 11 Welsh caps.

When FAW President Steve Williams arrived at the museum recently with boxes of objects to donate to the Welsh Football Collection, it was a Wrexham supporting colleague who spotted a wooden ball trophy and identified it…as the FAW Premier Cup!

Launched as the Invitation Cup in 1997-98, the competition changed its name to the FAW Premier Cup the following season.

Sponsored and televised by the BBC, the competition featured the top seven placed clubs from the Welsh Premier, joined by the best placed ‘exiled’ club from Colwyn Bay, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport County.

They played each other home and away in two groups of four, with the top two from each progressing to the quarter-finals, where they were joined by Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham and the Welsh Cup winners.

The format was adapted before the start of the 2004-05 competition and eventually ceased in 2008 when the BBC decided to withdraw its sponsorship.

The last final saw Newport County beat Llanelli 1-0, making the Exiles still the official holders!

Wrexham were the most successful club in the competition’s short history, playing in eight of the eleven finals that took place, winning five.

The addition of the trophy to the museum’s collection resulted in plenty of comments on social media suggesting that it or something similar should return to football in Wales. One for the FAW!

(Source: Welsh Football Data Archive)

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Read more about the Football Museum for Wales project

Last month we launched a Wales-wide public survey to help us design a brand new attraction coming to Wrexham town centre.

Wrexham Council, in partnership with the Welsh Government, are undertaking a major redevelopment of the Wrexham Museum building to create a joint Football Museum for Wales and Wrexham Museum located on one site. 

The new Football Museum will aim to tell the story of football in Wales, from the clubs, communities and supporters across the country, all the way up to the national teams and their historic achievements.

Wrexham Museum will be refurbished as part of the project and will feature brand new galleries exploring the history of Wrexham.

The questions in the survey were designed to help us learn more about who visits the museum, who doesn’t, and why. 

The survey also asked people what they thought the Museum does well, what could be improved and what they would like to see included in the new Football Museum and revamped Wrexham Museum.

What you told us

Here are some of the key findings from the survey:

• 529 responses were received in total
• 51% of respondents had visited Wrexham Museum previously
• Those responding to the questionnaire came from across Wales as well as some from England.
• 75% of respondents considered themselves to be Welsh.
• 67% of respondents were male, and 33% were female. 
• Majority of respondents were aged between 35-64.  Only 5% were under 24.

The survey also found that….

• 80% of all respondents were interested in an expansion of the core local history offer of Wrexham museum.
• In addition to this, 84% of people were interested in the new Football Museum for Wales.
• Football memorabilia is frequently listed as visitors’ favourite exhibits, alongside industrial history of the area and specific objects such as the Mold Cape and Brymbo man.
• When asked what could be improved, visitors suggested more rotating and visiting exhibitions, increased advertising as well as a larger and brighter museum space.
• When asked what would encourage people to visit the most common responses were interactive and engaging exhibitions, and activities and events with the football collection.
• Very few people were interested in a development of retail or education sessions, but 50% of people suggested that better publicity about the museum and events would make them more likely to visit the museum.

Read on for a more in depth look at the results….

Current Museum visitors

The survey found that visitors are most likely to have come to Wrexham museum from Wales, in particular from the area surrounding the museum and the Llandudno postcode. 

Visitors are most likely to have last come recently (within the last year or immediately before the pandemic)

Most people have heard about the museum because they live locally or from word of mouth and recommendations from others.

People who have previously visited have come due to an interest in Wrexham’s heritage or a specific event or object. They are less likely to have come to entertain themselves or their children. 

People enjoy the collection and the facilities – in particular the café – are especially popular. Temporary exhibitions also receive praise and have encouraged people to visit multiple times. 

Football memorabilia is frequently listed as visitor’s favourite exhibits, alongside industrial history of the area and specific objects such as the Mold Cape and Brymbo man. 

When asked what could be improved, visitors suggested more rotating and visiting exhibitions, increased advertising as well as a larger and brighter museum space. 

Most people enjoyed their visit, rating it either excellent or just below excellent.

Non Museum visitors

47% of those who had not visited the museum before had heard about Wrexham Museum.

Non-Visitors were also asked to indicate the reason why they had never visited Wrexham Museum. The most popular reason for not visiting was never having heard of the museum before. Additionally, non visitors frequently stated that they had either it had never occurred to them to visit, or that they felt that the museum was too far away or difficult to get to. 

The future

80% of all respondents were interested in an expansion of the core local history offer of Wrexham museum.

In addition to this, 84% of people were interested in the new Football Museum for Wales. 

When asked what would encourage people to visit the most common responses were interactive and engaging exhibitions, and activities and events with the football collection. 

Very few people were interested in a development of retail or education sessions, but 50% of people suggested that better publicity about the museum and events would make them more likely to visit the museum. 

Overall the idea of an increase of events (both related to football and to Wrexham’s heritage) was received positively with some write-in answers suggesting activities ranging from art exhibitions to comedy events and guest speakers. 

Location accessibility featured heavily in answers, with comments on how improved transport links to the museum and an increase of things to do in the area, suggested to encourage future visits.

Cllr Hugh Jones said: “Many thanks to everyone who responded to the survey from Wrexham and all over Wales. As results show, the interest in the new Football Museum continues to grow all over the country and the broad range of responses has given us an excellent platform to start developing ideas with the design team.

We hope this exciting new attraction will draw many new visitors to Wrexham town centre in the future, supporting our local economy and shining a spotlight on our local culture and heritage alongside the story of football in Wales.” 

What happens next

The results of the survey are now being discussed with the design team and will help inform the early proposals for the new Football Museum and revamped Wrexham Museum.

The realisation of a Football Museum for Wales here in Wrexham has come a step closer with the appointment of the design team. 

Haley Sharp Design (hsd), together with architects Purcell and quantity surveyors MDA Consulting, will work with Wrexham Council and the Welsh Government to develop the designs of the new museum before construction begins in 2022.

Meet the team

hsd are world leading interpretative designers who have nearly 40 years of experience leading visitor-focussed museum redevelopment projects. Other heritage projects they’ve worked on include Stonehenge Visitor Centre, Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and the Ice Age Fossils State Park in Las Vegas.  Their experience working in Wales includes Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenavon World Heritage Site and Cardigan Castle.

David Donoghue, Creative Director at hsd commented: “We are proud to be working with Wrexham Council, the Welsh Government and communities across Wales to develop a new, dynamic museum experience to enable everyone to actively engage with their heritage.  We can’t wait to start exploring the rich stories and collections, and to create impactful and exciting proposals.”

Purcell are one of the world’s leading design practices with more than 70 years’ experience as architects, masterplanners and heritage consultants. This includes experience with the existing museum building, having written a conservation plan for the building in 2005. 

Purcell Associate, Jane Roylance, said: “Purcell are delighted to have the opportunity to continue working with Wrexham Council, supporting hsd and the project sponsors to achieve their vision for a football Museum for Wales and for Wrexham Museum; an iconic building in the heart of historic Wrexham.”

MDA Consulting are an international property and construction consultancy who also celebrated their 70th year of trading in 2021.  MDA have extensive experience of working in the heritage sector and have in the past been involved in projects with the National Museum of Wales.  Other notable heritage projects MDA have worked on include Alexandra Palace, Museum of London, Dorset County Museum, Stonehenge Visitor Centre and Louvre Abu Dhabi. 

Managing Director, Steve Jones, said: “MDA Consulting are delighted to be part of the team to help deliver this exciting new project for Wales and Wrexham.”

‘Real progress being made’

The new Football Museum will be based within the Wrexham Museum building on Regent Street in the town centre.

Major refurbishment work will be carried out so that both the Football Museum and Wrexham Museum can exist side by side.

Over the next few months, the team will work with the public and stakeholders to develop the design of the new museum, together with its visitor facilities and public programmes. As well as the new football museum, the Wrexham Museum displays will also be refreshed and enlarged as part of the project.

New Welsh Government Deputy Minister responsible for Arts and Sport Dawn Bowden said, “I am delighted to see that real progress is now being made in moving this very significant project for Wrexham and Northeast Wales forward and I look forward to working with Wrexham Council to bring this exciting development to completion.”

‘A major new attraction for Wrexham town centre’

Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for People – Communities, Partnerships Public Protection and Community Safety, Cllr Hugh Jones said: “The new Football Museum will be a major new attraction for Wrexham town centre, drawing visitors from all over the country and beyond. It will tell the story of football in Wales in all its diversity, from the clubs and supporters across the country, all the way up to the national teams and their historic achievements. 

“We are delighted to welcome Haley Sharp Design and look forward to seeing this exciting project progressing as we move towards the next stage of its development.” 

Wrexham Council’s Chief Executive, Ian Bancroft, said: “The appointment of such a strong world class design team reflects the commitment both of the Council and the Welsh Government to create a museum which will recognise the importance of football in Wales and secure Wrexham’s place as the spiritual home of football in Wales.

“This significant step forward for the project comes at a hugely exciting time for football fans here in Wrexham and across Wales. We congratulate the national team for their fantastic achievements this summer and for adding another thrilling chapter to Welsh football history. ” 

Image: Cllr Hugh Jones (WCBC Lead Member for Communities, Partnerships, Public Protection and Community Safety), Ron Watson (hsd Project Manager), Marc Johnson (WCBC Procurement Assistant), Jane Roylance (Purcell AABC Architect), David Donoghue (hsd Creative Director), Katie Pampoulos (hsd Activity Planner), Steve Grenter (WCBC Heritage Services Manager), Joshua Price (WCBC Project Manager).