Newcastle United put on a truly memorable event on Saturday as they paraded the Carbabao Cup trophy around the city.
It was an unforgettable day for all involved, the players, the staff, and of course, the fans.
Newcastle United got it spot on for their parade on Saturday, the streets filled with black and white with fans celebrating a first major trophy win since 1969.
The event saw the likes of Alan Shearer take centre stage to share how much Newcastle’s Carabao Cup win meant to him. Meanwhile, Geordie TV personalities Ant and Dec were mobbed by Newcastle fans upon arrival at St James’ Park.
Winning the Carabao Cup felt like a major leap forward for the Magpies. A big weight has been taken off the shoulders of fans and key figures associated with the club – many will hope a big future lies ahead.
That future looks like it will be in a new stadium, as plans continue to evolve ahead of the PIF and chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan making a final decision. Plans for Newcastle’s new 65,000-seater stadium were recently shared, with a new ground set to be built in Leazes Park, a very short walk away from the existing ground.
An estimated 300,000 Newcastle fans turned up for the event, although some predict it could be a far greater number. Given how many people there were in the city on the day, Newcastle fans have taken to social media to express their opinions on the proposed stadium capacity.
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Newcastle United fans call for larger stadium capacity
Toon CEO Darren Eales says PIF are committed to Newcastle’s new stadium project amid concerns that the Saudi Arabian company were losing interest in the Magpies.
A new stadium will double Newcastle’s matchday revenue, that is according to COO Brad Miller, who looks to be trying to get fans on board with a new ground. While a new stadium is preferred internally, a core group of fans still want to see the Magpies play at St James’ Park – opting for expansion over destruction.
Following the massive turnout at the Town Moor and open-top bus parade, one Newcastle fan took to X claiming that 65,000 seats was simply not enough for a new stadium.
The statement led other fans to give their opinions on the proposed capacity in the replies.
“Have to agree. I argued otherwise a few weeks ago but think 70,000 is a more sensible capacity after recent events. 5,000 should be made available to local kids/families at a reduced price.” said one fan, while another added: “Absolutely. Now is the time to be bold. We can be the biggest club in the country if the owners match the ambition.”
This fan looked at providing more tickets for future fans, saying: “Personally I would favour 75k but make sections affordable and even have say 500 tickets to give to local schools to encourage kids to come with parents.”
“There’s a very big difference between a free party after a lifetime of waiting and people paying £70 twice a week to watch you play Sheffield United at 12:30.” said this realistic Newcastle fan.
Another fan added: “The key is demand, you always wanna build a stadium that has effectively a “built in” wait list, personally 65k is a good start. After that if the data supports expanding it further, then the structure should allow for expansion…a bit like what city & West Ham have done.”
Finally, this Newcastle fans said: “Anything near 75,000 simply just won’t sell out unless it’s a big game. We sometimes don’t sell out 52,000 now.”
Newcastle United fans make a good point on stadium capacity
The stadium decision has been touted as “once in a generation” by Miller, the club simply cannot get their plans wrong as it could completely alter their trajectory for years to come.
Eales is concerned about filling seats at Newcastle’s new stadium, hence to why 65,000 has been named as the capacity rather than anything bigger.
However, if there is clear demand from the fans once the new ground is built Newcastle should have more room to expand, and could do so if necessary.
The same has been done at clubs like Manchester City and West Ham who have moved into new grounds since the beginning of the millennium, with the former making several changes to their stands since becoming more of a trophy-laden team in the early 2010s.
Newcastle fans eagerly await the final decision on stadium plans, but in the meantime club staff continue to work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that whatever choice is made will be one that gives the club and its fans a brighter future.
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