It feels more and more likely that Newcastle United are going to leave St James’ Park in the future.
Ever since the change of ownership at Newcastle United, there has been talk of stadium expansion. PIF understandably want to get more fans inside St James’ Park, with every game a sell out.
Toon officials can increase the club’s revenue by getting more fans in the ground, and Newcastle’s ambition has always been to expand St James’ Park.
The alternative is building a completely new stadium, and the attitude towards that has started to shift.
Some Newcastle fans are becoming more open to a new stadium, with an update on the club’s stance set to come in 2025.
Newcastle chief addresses St James’ Park situation
As the club continues to assess their options, new details from Newcastle United might make more fans inclined to wave goodbye to St James’ Park and usher in a new purpose built stadium.
Club officials spoke at an event at STACK on Wednesday night, with the future of St James’ Park a hot topic of conversation.
Newcastle’s chief operating officer Brad Miller was in attendance, and he admitted to supporters that a potential new stadium would not be built too far away from St James’ Park, and that it could really help the club in terms of profit and sustainability.
“The first choice is if we stayed at St James’ we have the 52,000 seats already,” he said, as reported by the Chronicle.
“It comes with significantly more money if we transform it and it will look amazing. That’s option one.
“Option two is if we were to move away, and not too far away as we aren’t going to stretch the elastic band to the point of breaking.
“The second option we are looking at it seriously as it does have the potential to earn more than twice as much in terms of revenue, compared to a transformation of St James’ Park. And more seats, a lot more seats potentially.”
Those in attendance were then asked to choose one of the two hypothetical options with a show of hands, with the Chronicle noting that more fans appeared to vote for the second option.
New Newcastle United stadium location is key
The narrative regarding a new stadium on Tyneside has certainly shifted.
While Eddie Howe has said that his preference is to remain at St James’ Park, it feels as if the club are gearing up to move away.
From a business perspective, it does make sense. And in terms of sentiment, more and more fans are accepting that a departure from St James’ Park is necessary for the club to evolve.
With Miller now admitting that a new stadium would be built ‘not too far away’ from St James’ Park, that will only motivate more fans that creating something new is for the best.
That aligns with what Alan Shearer recently said about Newcastle’s stadium project. Shearer said Newcastle’s new stadium must still be in the city, if the club decide to leave St James’ Park.
If Newcastle do build a new ground, it is vital they retain the atmosphere of St James’ Park. That will be very difficult, but more possible if the Magpies continue to play in the heart of the city.
There is also the additional revenue that a new stadium would produce, which would help in terms of PSR. With more money coming into the club, it will be easier for the likes of Paul Mitchell and Eddie Howe to revolutionise a squad that was not enhanced during the summer for financial reasons.
It always felt like expanding St James’ Park was the only option, but the mood is shifting. And preference will only lean more towards a new stadium following Brad Miller’s comments.
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