Newcastle United are still sailing on the upward trajectory the takeover in October 2021 set them on.
PIF have completely transformed the club in terms of ambition and investment, with Wednesday night’s huge 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League surely proving the high-point thus far.
Still, for all of the change, there are still plenty of reminders of the old Newcastle – both for the good and the bad.
Three players who scored against PSG, after all, were inherited by Eddie Howe from Steve Bruce.
Then there’s the training ground.
Amanda Staveley spoke on how “bad” the club’s set-up was there when the takeover went through and while there have been changes since, a new update has now emerged.
What sources are now saying about Newcastle’s training ground
Indeed, according to the Daily Telegraph, there has been little movement on a potential move away from Darsley Park in Benton.
They suggest several areas of land have been considered including near the Racecourse but that there have been no applications for planning submitted.
Sources tell the paper that it seems unlikely the club will move on from their existing training ground for at least another decade.
These things take time
At some point, Newcastle will surely need to be able to match their training facilities to the clubs who they are trying to rival.
Though there have been notable improvements in the PIF era thus far, it would be fair to say Benton will always struggle to match the likes of the Etihad Training Complex used by Manchester City. Only so many licks of paint can be applied, after all.
Still, City didn’t even move into that until 2014, six years after their takeover. It is clearly a huge step and one that cannot be rushed.
There is little reason to fear.
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