Newcastle’s board ‘close’ to recommending new £1.2billion stadium to replace St. James Park

Newcastle United Stadium
Newcastle United's stadium St James' Park.

Newcastle United’s board are said to be looking to develop a new stadium adjacent to St James’ Park according to one report.

St James’ Park has been a cornerstone of English football throughout its history and the 52,000-seater stadium is one of the most iconic and adored in this country.

However, as is the case with billionaire owners these days, the topic of a new and improved stadium has been in discussion for Newcastle.

The same goes for Manchester United with Old Trafford, Chelsea has also been exploring stadium ideas while Liverpool has already added capacity to Anfield and Everton is waiting to move into the newly-built Bramley-Moore Dock next season.

According to the Telegraph Sport, Newcastle is leaning towards building a new stadium rather than expanding their current.

The report says: ‘The club’s board are getting closer to recommending to Newcastle’s Saudi Arabian owners that the best option for their stadium expansion is the construction of a £1.2 billion new home with a capacity of just under 70,000.

‘Although the club remain adamant that a final decision has not been made – this will be up to majority stakeholders Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund when they are presented with the two options of rebuilding St James’ Park or moving to the new site – there is growing momentum behind the new stadium plan.’

Interestingly, they are hoping to become the second-biggest club stadium behind Man United’s 75,000-seater home ground, and they are looking to build using an overlapping footprint, which means building on the land that St James’ Park currently sits upon.

That will remove the need to build heavily upon Leazes Park, the protected Victorian-era green space which sits behind the current stadium, making a potential deal with the council and other governing bodies easier in prospect. 

Other information about the stadium has been revealed such as the potential shape; the new bowl-shaped stadium would sit higher than the current ground, making it a more imposing figure.

They may even be able to continue playing at the stadium while construction begins but it is unclear how such an idea would work in practice.

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When would it be finished?

One upcoming date that the club had in mind was to be ready for the European Championships in 2028, set to take place in England.

But with plans for it to be completed within six to seven years would mean potentially moving into their new ground for the start of the 2031-32 season.

While plenty of discussions and plans have been made nothing will go ahead without the say-so from the fans advisory board, who will receive a presentation about the project later this year.

Plus, Newcastle’s owners, the Public Investment Fund, could still veto the project if it is deemed too costly, too divisive among fans and if there are mounting legal obstacles to deal with.

A back-up option remains, however, as the potential to rebuild and redevelop St James’ Park also remains on the table.