Future of St James’ Park to be decided in the new year, club tells fans

Newcastle United have announced they will make a decision on the future of St James’ Park early next year.

The long term future of the 132-year-old home of the club is in doubt and club officials must decide whether to expand the existing stadium, or explore options for alternative sites in the city.

The club has completed the first phase of a feasibility study which is looking at the potential of expanding the existing 52,300-seater stadium or building a new ground.

In his update to members of the Fan Advisory Board this week, Newcastle United’s chief operating officer Brad Miller admitted the study is ‘extremely complex’ and it has now entered its second phase.

That will concentrate on more detailed analysis, to consider specific project-related risks, as the club seeks a balance between risk and opportunity for this ‘once-in-a-generation investment’, Miller said.

Newcastle United have played at St James’ Park in the city centre since 1892 and a move away for the traditional home for Geordies will be difficult for some supporters to stomach. 

It has gone under several transformations, and expanding the stadium would be the preferred option for most Newcastle fans - and manager Eddie Howe has also indicated he would prefer to stay at their old home.

Ahead of the last weekend’s fixtures, Howe said he felt moving away from St James’ would “feel like a betrayal”.

Howe added: “My natural instinct was always to stay. St James’ Park is an incredible place to play football. It’s our home. So to sort of think about moving somewhere else feels like a little bit of a betrayal to somewhere that’s served us so well.

“But we are well aware that, as a club, we need to increase our revenue. So people with more brain cells than me will make the decision for the benefit of the long-term future of the club.”

It is already estimated an expansion scheme to take the capacity to more than 60000 would cost at least £1 billion - comparable to Tottenham Hotspur’s rebuilding of White Hart Lane, which is the Premier League’s biggest ground-building project.

Brad Miller said: "This is an exciting but extremely complex project, and I'd like to thank supporters for their patience as we conduct this key phase of the feasibility process. We aren't quite at a decision-making stage yet, but we are targeting the early part of 2025 to complete the next essential tasks.

"We know what a transformed St. James' Park would give us and we now have a significant amount of data and feedback on our stadium footprint and surrounding area, so we are several steps forward.

"But it is also clear that this option has several risks associated with it, so we need to fully analyse those risks against the opportunities to reach truly informed and intelligent outcomes.

"We are challenging our appointed design team, and ourselves, to make sure our eventual chosen route delivers a fantastic fan experience - one that represents the fans, city, region and club, and aligns with the long-term ambitions of our ownership group.

"But it must provide an investable return, and not least deliver strong revenue growth to increase our PSR headroom, which, as everyone knows, means we can invest more in football.”

Newcastle United have recognised that increased match day revenue streams will help their compliance with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, which have held back their Saudi-backed owners, Public Investment Fund, since they took over three years ago.

Although the majority of supporters might prefer to stay at St James’ Park, the ground is full to capacity for matches and could possibly cater for as many as 80000 in future.

Miller added: "Part of the process is also to understand alternative options so that we see the bigger picture and, again, find the right balance between risk and opportunity. This is a once-in-a-generation investment, so we don't want to look back in years to come, as a club or as a city, and regret an opportunity missed.

"Our objective is to select a scheme that is deliverable, affordable, and sustainable, so we are investing this time to make sure we are only going to spend money on the project where it will make the biggest difference - to fan experience, revenue, competitiveness, investment in football and operational efficiency.

"All this requires a robust process that leaves no stone unturned.”

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