Wrexham owners buy historic Turf pub next to stadium

The ownership group of Wrexham AFC has exchanged contracts to buy The Turf pub from Admiral Taverns, bringing the Welsh club, its stadium and the historic public house under unified ownership for the first time. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the Hollywood actors who bought Wrexham in 2021, confirmed the deal in a club statement on September 21, 2026. The statement said the acquisition allows for the preservation of the history and traditions of the pub, which has been linked to the Racecourse Ground and the club since its foundation in 1864. The Turf, originally named the Turf Hotel, hosted the meeting at which Wrexham AFC was formed in October 1864. In the early years, players used the pub as a changing room before matches, and patrons once watched games from a balcony overlooking the pitch before the Mold Road Stand was redeveloped in 1999. Landlord Wayne Jones, who has run The Turf for 20 years, will continue to operate the pub day to day under the new ownership. Jones said securing the pub's future under Wrexham Holdings was good news for fans and that he looked forward to continuing to run it.