Wrexham AFC Strengthens US Connection
Wrexham AFC has named STōK Cold Brew Coffee as the new sponsor of its Racecourse Ground.
The agreement between the English Football League (EFL) Two club and one of the largest and US cold brew coffee brands will commence on 1st July 2023.
Wrexham AFC has seen its popularity in the US grow significantly since the release of Disney’s Welcome To Wrexham, a docuseries following the journey of the club’s owners – Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
This is the first time the world’s oldest international football stadium will have a sponsor and the partnership with a US company underlines the growing interest in the Welsh team from America.
STōK claims it is ‘committed to celebrating and honouring the history of the team and beloved stadium by keeping the historic ‘Cae Ras‘ or ‘Racecourse’ as part of the official stadium name’. Therefore, the 10,700-capacity ground will be renamed the STōK Cae Ras | STōK Racecourse.
The club, led by the Hollywood co-chairmen, announced the news with a video featuring Ryan, Rob, 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.
This sponsorship’s already a smashing success. Welcome to the @Wrexham_AFC team, official stadium sponsor @stokcoldbrew.
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) May 25, 2023
🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/4Ps95MIVtd
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, commented, “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.”
STōK will also be sponsor of the Wrexham AFC American tour — the first time in the club’s history that the first team squad will travel to the United States for pre-season.
Brittney Polka, Vice President of Ready-to-Drink Beverages at Danone North America, said, “Some may wonder why a US-based cold brew brand would sponsor a tea-drinking Welsh football team. The answer: STōK is all about bold moves.”
“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, added, “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.
Image: Shutterstock
