Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney announce a name change from the Racecourse Ground after agreeing a new sponsor deal.
They confirm a sponsorship agreement with SToK Cold Brew Coffee, which will result in the renaming of their home ground to SToK Cae Ras/SToK Racecourse.
Danone North America owns the drinks company, which is pronounced Stoke, but its ‘cold-brew’ products are currently not available in the UK.
The Club Advisory Board, which is composed of supporters, discussed and endorsed the idea of attaching a sponsor name to Racecourse Ground.
This sponsorship’s already a smashing success. Welcome to the @Wrexham_AFC team, official stadium sponsor @stokcoldbrew.
🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/4Ps95MIVtd
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) May 25, 2023
CLUB STATEMENT:
Wrexham AFC are delighted to announce STōK Cold Brew Coffee, one of the largest and fastest growing cold brew coffee brands in the U.S., has been announced as the official sponsor of the Racecourse Ground.
This is the first time the world’s oldest international football stadium will have a sponsor; the sponsorship is effective beginning July 1, 2023. STōK is committed to celebrating and honoring the history of the team and beloved stadium by keeping the historic “Cae Ras” or “Racecourse” as part of the official stadium name: STōK Cae Ras | STōK Racecourse.
The Club, led by co-chairmen Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, announced the news with a video featuring the co-chairmen and the Wrexham AFC men’s team. In the video, McElhenney and Reynolds decide to secretly replace the team’s traditional afternoon tea with bold and smooth STōK Cold Brew Coffee to see if they will notice–you can see the team’s reaction here.
Club co-chairmen Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds remarked: “We wanted a stadium sponsor that captured the vitality and energy of Wrexham Association Football Club while also, like Welsh, being a bit of a learning experience to say. STōK Cold Brew Coffee fit the bill perfectly. We’re incredibly excited and a little over-caffeinated.”
The principle of attaching a stadium sponsor name to the Cae Ras/Racecourse was discussed with, and backed by, the Club Advisory Board which is made up of supporter representatives.
While STōK doesn’t sell cold brew in the UK, STōK is as invested in Wrexham’s success as it is in cold brew coffee. At their core, Wrexham and STōK are truly kindred spirits—both local favorites that are growing rapidly in popularity and gaining global audiences.
“Some may wonder why a U.S.-based cold brew brand would sponsor a tea-drinking Welsh football team. The answer: STōK is all about bold moves,” said Brittney Polka, Vice President of Ready-to-Drink Beverages at Danone North America.
“We were captivated by the story of Wrexham—the team, the fans, and the community—and we’re honored to be welcomed into the Wrexham family. We’ll be cheering on the Red Dragons and raising our cold brews from afar.”
Humphrey Ker, Executive Director of Wrexham AFC said: “We are delighted to welcome STōK to the Wrexham family. Having secured the support of the Club Advisory Board and understanding that the majority of fans were happy for the stadium to be sponsored, we were delighted to partner with one of the fastest growing cold brew coffee brands in the U.S., as their ambitions and upward trajectory matches our own.”
STōK and Wrexham have plans “brewing” to extend the partnership beyond the Cae Ras/Racecourse Ground.
In the States, STōK will be sponsor of the highly anticipated Wrexham AFC American tour—the first time in the Club’s history that the first team squad will travel to the United States.
Follow @Wrexham_AFC, @SToKColdBrew and visit www.wrexhamafc.co.uk for more updates. Be sure to use the STōK store locator to find a bottle near you.
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This is what fans said as newly promoted Wrexham announce a name change from the Racecourse Ground after a agreeing new sponsor deal…
@RP_Andrews23: The pinkie 🤣🤣
@owaincym: Not a fan of this, should be kept as the Racecourse Ground forever to appreciate the legacy and history which the stadium and clubs holds, similar to the Camp Nou being renamed Spotify Camp Nou
@joewxm1864: not sure about that
@LiteMCFC: I like that the sponsor isn’t gambling etc, but I think it sounds an awful lot like “Stoke Racecourse…”
@WelshPoketRoket: This promo vid is absolutely incredible 😂
@ms_th19: That’s a fucking dreadful name 🙈
@wixey998: 😂😂😂 brilliant video
@jfkramprat: I need the bloopers.
@jackwdgj: Disgusting idea. Appalling.
@IanHeron71: Stōk pronounced Stoke! So we’re now the Stoke Racecourse Stadium? Not a lot of thought went into that did it FFS!
@ItsAndySkibba: This is an incredible ad
@r77ulr: But can we do it on a cold Tuesday night in SToK?
@RichardLowe84: The “Stoke” Racecourse… Brings back memories of 14/15.
@CanadianRed1970: Only these owners can get away with this… LOLOLOLOL
@RichieV23: It’s all about the ££££$$$..….long may it continue ☺️
@MattyWebber88: Hooray! It’s not gambling, oil or gun related 🔴⚪ ☕
@danielesc44: love this 😭 could do with it not sounding like the ‘Stoke’ Racecourse though lmao
@Mattpie95: These actually crack me up 🤣
@isaachwxm: Could’ve read it out loud lads 😂 the stoke racecourse 🤦♂️
@hfields1326: The teams reaction to the change is priceless😂
@GezRogers: That’ll do. 💰💰💰💰
@joeroberts1995: Needed a sponsor for the stadium. More income 👍🏻
@noguiltlife: It’s @RMcElhenney pinky out for me ☕️🫖 #Wrexham
@msr541: I see some fans are iffy around the Racecourse having a sponsor in the name. As an American it’s amusing how we get used to things. Here, we’re used to stadiums being called “pet shop dot com stadium” but when i see kits with giant sponsors on the front I’d think fans would riot
@WrexhamSunny: Think people complaining about the name change don’t understand how stadium sponsors work. It’s still Y Cae Ras/Racecourse and always will be. Thankfully, they’ve kept it as that and not just the Stok Stadium. That would be rather annoying. More money for the club. UTST!
Hopefully this changes asap…! pic.twitter.com/np34EFVjov
— Ri(C)hard Lowe (@RichardLowe84) May 25, 2023
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