Newcastle stadium expansion: St James’ Park renovation plans detailed

Newcastle United are on the up as a football club. On the field, they are mixing it up with the heavyweights of football, finishing in the top seven of the Premier League twice in the last three years.

In the 2022/23 campaign, they qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 20 years, and they beat PSG 4-1 at home. Many remarked that the atmosphere at St. James' Park gave the players the adrenaline and belief to pull off a shock result.

It was a reminder of just how important the fans are at St. James' Park. The 2023/24 season was a little more frustrating for the supporters, but the club's home crowd remained as passionate as ever, making the stadium intimidating for travelling teams.

With that in mind, imagine what the place would be like with 65,000 screaming Geordies in it.

That may become reality shortly, with plans for a Newcastle stadium expansion being widely reported. Here's everything you need to know…

What are the Newcastle stadium expansion plans?

Telegraph Sport reported on 6 October 2023 that plans have begun to expand the stadium's capacity to 65,000 by adding 13,000 seats to the Gallowgate Stand and the East Stand.

While work is at a very early stage, with consultations being had with specialist architects on how to expand the stadium, cost and a timeframe are also a concern.

The plan, in theory, is to make the East Stand and Gallowgate Stand as big as the Milburn Stand and the Leazes Stand. However, this has complications, as the East Stand is quite close to some listed buildings just behind it.

Are there any problems with St. James' Park renovation plans?

Yes, in addition to the proximity of listed buildings, there is also residential housing, whose occupants are unlikely to let their homes be demolished. Building upwards would also cause a problem, as all-natural light to those houses would be blocked if any new stand was built there. All options will need to be considered to find a suitable solution for all.

While plans for the expansion of the East Stand are still being discussed, the Gallowgate Stand is an easier proposition. The club has already bought the land behind it, although this was used to create a fan zone. It was opened ahead of the 2024/25 season and has a capacity of 3,000.

Feasibility report undertaken

In March 2024, it was revealed that Newcastle's owners had commissioned a feasibility report on St James Park to determine whether their grand plans for the club's future would be possible at the current stadium.

While the current owners are said to prefer the option of redeveloping St James' Park, they are also scouting out other locations in the city should a brand new stadium in a new location make more sense logistically and financially.

The report stated that two alternative options are to either build a new stadium on the banks of the River Tyne near the city's railways station or knock down the current St James' Park and rebuild a new one in the exact location.

Ultimately, the owners want the new stadium to be multipurpose and almost like a “Wembley of the North,” mirroring Sir Jim Ratcliffe's plans for Old Trafford. They would like it to host concerts, international football matches, and NFL games.

Final decision on stadium project ‘imminent'

Speaking to the i in August 2024, Newcastle's new chief operating officer, Brad Miller, revealed that the club's final decision on the next steps for the stadium project is “imminent”. Miller said: “The stadium investment is genuinely a once-in-a-generation opportunity and we want to make sure that we get that right.”

He added: “So, there's a lot for us to think about and that's why we are, maybe frustratingly for people, taking our time to make sure that our next steps are going to be the right ones.”

The report also confirmed that the preference of the club is to renovate St James' Park instead of building a new stadium. However, the existing facility is next to listed buildings, which would cause significant planning challenges.

They also confirmed that the project will cost billions, with the proposed outlay on a new build described as “eye-watering“. A final decision is expected to be communicated to supporters before the autumn.

When will Newcastle stadium expansion begin?

There is no definite timeframe for construction, but the club is committed to progressing off the field as it is seemingly doing on the field. This makes commercial sense because the demand for match-day tickets far exceeds supply. It is expected that a decision on whether to build a new stadium or expand St James' Park will be made before the autumn.

We appear to be approaching that moment extremely quickly. In a recent interview, Newcastle chief operating officer Brad Miller explained that the club was preparing to write a “really big cheque” once the St. James' Park feasibility report was completed, which is expected to happen very soon.

What does Eddie Howe think?

The Newcastle United manager is in favour of the expansion. He said: “I'd love to see it expanded. If it can be done, I'm sure the club will do it at some point.”

How much will St. James' Park renovation cost, and how will it be funded?

According to the i, the stadium project will “stretch into the billions.”

The unique challenges to St James' Park, such as light problems, listed buildings, and residential housing, add significantly to the overall cost.

That shouldn't be a problem for the club, who are funded by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Upon their 2021 takeover, this group insisted they had no direct connection to the Saudi Arabian state, but reports have cast significant doubt on those claims.

There is a split in Newcastle's support over the attitude towards their new owners. After the dire years under Mike Ashley's stewardship, the free-spending and good mood can be hard not to get caught up in.

But there are many who oppose the way their club is now being used as a vehicle for sportswashing by the Saudi Arabian state, who have allegedly committed significant breaches of human rights, including the 2018 murder of outspoken journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

How big is St James' Park now?

With a capacity of 52,000, Newcastle's stadium is the seventh-largest in the Premier League.

Their position in these rankings has dramatically fallen in the last few years, with West Ham, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur all usurping the Geordies with their stadium moves, renovations, and new builds, respectively.

A projected capacity of 65,000 – although the problems outlined above may mean this isn't possible – would take St James' Park second in English club football, behind only Manchester United's Old Trafford.

What are the four stands at St James' Park?

The Gallowgate End is the south stand of the stadium. It is named Gallowgate because the town is associated with the old Gallows and the club has sponsorship connections with Scottish and Newcastle Breweries.

The North Stand is known as the Leazes End, as it is right beside Leazes Park. This is where the singing section of Newcastle fans can usually be found.

The Milburn Stand is west of the ground and is named after Jackie Milburn, a footballer who played for the club in the 1950s.

The East Stand is fairly self-explanatory, name-wise! It is the smallest of all the stands. There are plans to rename it the Sir Bobby Robson Stand, but this has not officially been recognised yet.

St James' Park Iconic Atmosphere

St. James’ Park ROARS after the full-time whistle! #NEWARS pic.twitter.com/i0BYsMWkOV

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) November 4, 2023

St James’ Park tonight is just unbelievable

(🎥 Credit: @WhitleyBirder) pic.twitter.com/RN0ROSMqD2

— NUFC360 (@NUFC360) October 7, 2021

The game was over for PSG before it even started. #NUFC

St. James’ Park rocking in what is considered the best atmosphere in 2024 UCL! ⚪️⚫️pic.twitter.com/yqBzbDTNFp

— FtblJoe (@FtblJoe) March 26, 2024

Previous Newcastle stadium expansion at St James' Park

Built in 1892, St James' Park has always been the home of Newcastle United.

The last time it went under any renovation was in 1998 after a failed attempt to move the club from St James' Park. The initial plan was to build a 55,000 all-seater stadium, similar to the San Siro, up north at Leazes Park. The Newcastle fans were not happy and after realizing the project would never happen, they turned to plan B.

Plan B was to expand their current stadium to over 52,000 in capacity. To do this, the Milburn Stand was to undergo major construction. Executive boxes in the East Stand were also demolished, allowing new seats. The excusable boxes were transferred to the new Milburn/Leazes stand.

The project took two years to build and cost £42 million. It was completed in July 2000, with a new roof added right at the end of construction.

The stadium now has a 52,000 capacity and is currently the eighth largest football stadium in England.