Newcastle United would be making a huge mistake if they left St James’ Park and built a new stadium.
That is the view of pundit Ally McCoist, who has begged Newcastle to stay where they are rather than relocate amid speculation that a change could be on the horizon.
Ever since the change of ownership, the demand for tickets on Tyneside has gone up. St James’ Park is always full, leading to the club exploring the possibility of expanding it.
However, given its location in the centre of the city, that is easier said than done.
That led to a survey going out to fans this week, canvassing opinion on the possibility of building a completely new stadium, as well as various other possible ways to improve the match day experience.
The response appears to have been fairly unanimous, with supporters desperate to stay at St James’ Park. That is ideally what the owners want too, with their preferred option being to increase the capacity of the ground they have already got.
Now former Scotland striker Ally McCoist has weighed in on the debate, and pointed to West Ham‘s current situation as reason to avoid leaving St James’ Park.
Ally McCoist wants Newcastle to stay at St James’ Park
McCoist spoke about the possibility of Newcastle United moving away from St James’ Park on TalkSPORT Breakfast on December 6th.
“St James’. Atmosphere. You can’t move,” he said.
“Don’t move, keep it.
“It’s a bit like the West Ham scenario. West Ham now have an athletics stadium and they are doing their best but they have left a proper football ground, and it’s not going to be the same.
“St James’ atmosphere is brilliant.”
Newcastle must avoid making same mistake as West Ham
While the London Stadium is a beautiful arena and one of the biggest in the Premier League, it does not have same atmosphere as the Boleyn Ground. They left there in 2016, and after more than seven years there are still complaints from the Hammers faithful about it being nowhere near as special.
For the purists, leaving the Boleyn Ground was a mistake. While it made sense from a commercial perspective, nostalgia and tradition goes a long way with football supporters.
And that is exactly why Newcastle must not leave St James’ Park. It is a special stadium with a special atmosphere, and you risk throwing that away if you build something new.
As Ally McCoist says, Newcastle should not move. They have to remain at St James’ Park, whether than means keeping it as it is or potentially making it bigger if it is feasible.
But do not leave.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
