A crusade to bring the Olympic torch to Wrexham is hotting up.<\/p>\n
Kevin Critchley, the manager of the town\u2019s Eagles Meadow shopping centre, has pledged his support to Wrexham AM Lesley Griffiths who started the campaign.<\/p>\n
The Olympic torch relay route is due to by-pass Wrexham when it is carried through Wales \u2013 it\u2019s only scheduled to go through Cardiff, Swansea, Aberystwyth and Bangor.<\/p>\n
Lesley Griffiths has written to Olympic supremo Lord Sebastian Coe saying it would be a “great shame” if the town were not included in next May’s route.<\/p>\n
Mr Critchley is backing the campaign to the hilt and he\u2019s urging other businesses in the town to add their voices to the growing clamour.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWrexham is the capital of North Wales and we feel that it is only right and proper that we have a share of the Olympic action.<\/p>\n
\u201cBack in 2008, when it was announced that the London 2012 bid had been successful, the Olympic flag was raised in celebration here.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot only that, we have a fine Olympic tradition and two gold medal heroes to boot.<\/p>\n
\u201cKen Matthews won gold in 1964 in the 20K race walk in Tokyo and then Tom James followed suit as a member of the victorious men\u2019s four at the 2008 Beijing Games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lesley Griffiths, who is also the Welsh Government Health Minister, was delighted to receive the backing of the shopping centre for her campaign which was also attracting a huge amount of support from townspeople.<\/p>\n
She revealed: \u201cIt\u2019s been one of my biggest post bags from constituents who really want the Olympic torch to come to Wrexham \u2013 the campaign is gathering \u00a0momentum all the time<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be would be a real shot in the arm for the whole town which has a fantastic sporting heritage.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody knows Wrexham for its Racecourse stadium which is now also home to the Crusaders rugby league team.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe stadium can also boast a world first as the ground where the first film of an international football match was shot at a game between Wales and Ireland in 1906.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd let\u2019s not forget that we are the cradle of Welsh football because Wrexham was the birthplace of the Welsh FA.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve also got a world class hockey pitch here so we have all the sporting credentials that you could possibly need.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe route that\u2019s been announced is a provisional one. \u00a0They\u2019ve decided that the torch will have overnight stops in Bangor and Chester so it makes perfect sense for it to come via Wrexham.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s great that Eagles Meadow has come on board to join the campaign. Wrexham\u2019s going for gold!\u201d<\/p>\n