Amanda Staveley has admitted that there’s still a lot of work to do behind the scenes at Newcastle

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Newcastle United is very much a work-in-progress since the PIF and Amanda Staveley came in – on the pitch things are ahead of schedule, but behind the scenes there’s a lot to be done at St James’ Park.

Amanda Staveley has been talking at the MIPIM – Le Marché International des Professionnels de L’immobilier, which is an international property event hosted in Cannes, France, each March – where she shared that talks have taken place with architects about increasing the capacity of St James’ Park.

“We love St James’ Park,” Staveley said at MIPIM (via The Chronicle). “We luckily bought Strawberry Place and we have been talking to architects about what we can actually do.

“We desperately need to invest in the stadium. It’s just the most incredible place, but it needs to be fit for purpose.”

The reacquisition of Strawberry Place is a key bit of business by PIF

It has been a stroke of good fortune that the owners were able to reacquire the land at Strawberry Place which was sold off by Mike Ashley and was set to become a residential and business development. It would have all-but eliminated any possibility of a stadium expansion. Not to mention the fact that it would have obscured the view of the stadium as you cross the Tyne Bridge when you enter the city from the south.

“We create so much magic in that stadium every day and every time there is a game on, Sky love coming,” Staveley continued. “The broadcasters love it because they get real content. There’s that sense of excitement that we have to build and deliver because a lot of people can’t visit St James’.

“On the other side, there needs to be significant investment in food and beverage. Food and beverage offerings need work. We have got to get the ticketing system right. There was a historical 10-year season ticket deal. Literally every part of the business needs to be shaken up.”

Fans have always preferred to stay at St James’ Park

There’s a desperation amongst the fanbase to remain at St James’ Park, the stadium is iconic and unique with its location so an expansion has always been preferred to a relocation. It’s fantastic to see that it’s now a probability once again thanks to the Strawberry Place acquisition.

It also sounds like there will be many improvements that go along with the expansion too which will bring the stadium on par with some of the newer ones in the Premier League. A stadium worthy of the team playing on it. Exciting times are ahead.