Peter Jones

My name is Peter Jones and I am Wrexham born and bred. I am 55 years-old, and have been a Wrexham supporter since my father took me to the Racecourse in the 1960s. I helped out as a programme seller in the 1970s; and was a programme contributor for over 25 years; and have produced many books on Wrexham Football Club, including editing the club yearbook for nine years. 

I have been involved with Wrexham Supporters’ organisations in raising funds for Wrexham Football Club since September 1994 when I was a founder member of the Shropshire Reds Supporters group before becoming a co-opted Board member of Wrexham Supporters Trust in 2004 following the discovery that the Racecourse Ground had been sold to property developers. I was fully elected to the board in June 2004.

Since that time I have been involved with helping the Supporters’ Trust to highlight the ground and club’s plight, as well as leading the fundraising group in helping the Trust to raise over £800,000, part of which was eventually used in securing the purchase of the football club as a fan owned club in November 2011. 

Having served as Vice-Chairman of the Supporters’ Trust since 2008, I have now proudly served as Chairman of the Supporters’ Trust since WST became the first ever Supporters’ Trust to take over a professional Football Club as a going concern in 2011, a transaction that I was proud to be involved with. I fully endorse fan ownership and believe that this is the best way forward for the sustainability of the club for future generations. 

Having cleared the inherited debt from when we took over; we have since worked to give our managers the best playing budget we can provide each season. 

Last July we agreed a 99-year lease on the Racecourse Ground with Glyndwr University, and the My Racecourse initiative is now beginning to bear fruit with the two concerts on Cae Ras last summer. As a board we have always looked to feasibly improve on the work that we do, but never resting on our laurels, as we always look to do better, which we do by listening to our members, debating and making a decision. 

Having been available to meet fans in the Trust Shop next to the Turf for the past five years and answer questions, I can now be found in the 1864 suite before the game using my knowledge as historian of Wrexham AFC to interview former players, which was a great success last season.

Having worked for NHS the past 30 months, I have just returned to work for the Civil Service, who I had previously served for 31 years. My spare time sees me committed to my role on the Trust Board and fully appreciate my responsibilities of not only being a Trust Board member, but also that of Chairman, and continue to help and promote Wrexham AFC as a fan owned club, spreading the good name of the club around the football family.

Wrexham fans have been absolutely fantastic in embracing the ethos of fan ownership; yes, there are fans who do not share our views on this, but there’s no doubting that fan ownership has given fans the chance to have a real stake in the club’s future, and make a huge difference to the lives of many people in our community at the same time. 

The Board have shown over the years just what can happen when people don’t just sit on the sidelines, but choose to get involved and really pull together, which has created a community-owned club that has gone from strength to strength. We encourage all fans to get involved,as it’s Our Club. Our Future. 

We have shown off the field that a co-operatively owned football club can be faithful to its high ethical standards, keeping a keen focus on community involvement, as well as being financially sustainable, but there’s no doubting that all these off-the-field successes will only be surpassed by promotion to the Football League.