What new academy deal means for Wrexham

There’s finally some positive news regarding Wrexham’s academy as they push to gain Category Three status.

Aspiring Red Dragon footballers will be able to hone their skills at Darland High School next season. The school, founded in 1958, will be the new home to the hundreds of youngsters who have signed up to represent the club in 2024/25.

The announcement comes after their Category Three academy application was recently rejected.

As a Category Four academy, the Welsh club can only operate teams from under 17 onwards, leaving several young players uncertain about their future.

The new facility won’t automatically upgrade Wrexham’s status from Category Four, but it could provide them with a lot more tools to develop the next generation.

What will Darland High School have to offer?

Training at Darland High School could be the next best thing for Wrexham to reach Category Three status.

The plan is to build five pitches of varying sizes, along with changing rooms, toilets, offices, analysis rooms, medical rooms, a gym, a kitchen, meeting rooms, and a classroom.

Wrexham’s Academy manager, Andy Lowe, says this could hugely benefit the club’s youth: “This is a significant milestone for our Academy at Wrexham AFC and is the accumulation of eight months of extremely hard work behind the scenes by numerous people,” says Lowe.

What does this mean for the Wrexham Academy?

It’s unclear whether this new project will enable the Wrexham to gain Category Three status for its academy, but according to Lowe, it can’t hurt those chances either.

“Darland High is in a fantastic location within the Wrexham area and allows us the opportunity to grow as an EFL-licensed academy,” says Lowe.

The High School facility will have everything seen in EFL academies and, at the very least, provide the youth with an ideal opportunity to grow.

“The Darland facility now provides us with a fantastic opportunity to support of our ongoing Category Three application and aspirations of becoming an EFL Category Three-Two Academy,” adds Lowe.

While Wrexham have more money to buy players from a much deeper pool at its core this club was always about trying to develop and make the most of the resources they have. Going forward, that could be crucial in order to become sustainable and also to raise much-needed funds.

It's not perfect, but it's hopefully a step in the right direction.