Ever since the PIF and Reuben family took over Newcastle United, talk of a St James' Park expansion has been a topic on the lips of fans.
However, Newcastle's new stadium is increasingly more likely as the club “seriously” considers the options.
With St James' Park being such an iconic stadium, why would Newcastle United want to abandon that for a new home?
What could the capacity of a potential Newcastle new stadium be, and what would the cost of the stadium amount to?
Football Ground Guide offers the answers to all these questions in this regularly updated guide.
What's the latest on Newcastle's new stadium?
January 2024: Temporary homes discussed
With hopes of playing at the Stadium of Light firmly dashed and the Riverside Stadium not being considered, Newcastle United has limited options to explore. While moving north of the border could be an intriguing choice, it presents additional challenges. Edinburgh is approximately 120 miles away from Newcastle, translating to around two hours by car or train. This distance also means that visiting teams would have to contend with the extra travel time. For instance, Southampton would face an eight-hour journey to play the fixture.
On the positive side, the lack of local rivalries in the area means that Newcastle could use the stadium without any issues. Furthermore, given the lower frequency of rugby matches played there, Newcastle would be able to establish a sense of home at the venue. The stadium's high capacity could also help maintain matchday revenue, depending on the fee Murrayfield charges for hosting the games.
For now, it appears we will see more developments like this in the coming year, although we believe alternate venues may not be necessary in most cases.
December 2024: Fresh rumours
New #NUFC stadium in Leazes Park ?
— Rob M (@Im_RobM) December 22, 2024
As can be seen above, there was some more speculation in late December that Newcastle United may indeed need a new stadium. Leazes Park has always seemed like the most obvious option, and fresh speculation once again supports that conclusion.
For some context, Rob M, sometimes known as “Pizza Rob” in the NUFC social community, is a fairly well-known in-the-know (ITK). While his record isn't spotless, he either has connections or is happy to take well-educated punts.
For now, the speculation is that the new stadium at Leazes Park is the way forward. It is being discussed to have a capacity of 75,000, which would also make it the largest stadium in the Premier League. News is expected to be revealed in March 2025, with the club likely to play a serious public relations game to try to convince fans that this is the right option. The lack of options for expanding St James' Park is likely to be the leading reason, and the two-year search for a solution will be used as a “we tried our best” stance.
November 2024: Fan vote sways in favour
Earlier in 2024, a fan vote was conducted to gauge the preferences of Newcastle supporters. While this vote was not binding, it provided the club with valuable insights into what fans desired.
The results of the vote were not disclosed at the time. However, more information emerged on 20 November, during a new fan event at St. James' Park Stack. This event featured the club's CEO, sporting director, and chief commercial officer (CCO).
The club's chief operating officer, Brad Miller, spoke about the potential at the event:
“It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Do we invest and transform St James’ as we see it today on the site where we are? Or do we take that bold move and think about moving? We want to make sure it’s a very robust process. So regardless of the outcome, I want to stand up in front of everybody throughout the process and say, ‘This is why it is a logical decision, with long-term competitiveness in mind”
Crucially, Miller is keen for fans to be at the forefront of any decision that is made, and fans seem to be warming to the idea of moving to a new stadium as time goes on. One thing that has always made St James' Park unique is its iconic location. He was clearly prepared for this, and the club had it in mind:
“The brilliant thing about St James’ is it is in an iconic location, the atmosphere and competitive edge it gives the team on the pitch, and it has 52,000 seats already. But a new stadium doesn’t have that and we’d have to pay for all those seats again. A new stadium has the potential to earn a lot more, both on matchdays and non-matchdays, a bit like STACK”
Revenue is the key driving force behind any plans, be they developing St James' Park or building a new stadium. The stadium's iconic location is also part of its downfall; with listed buildings and a metro station on either side, developing St James' Park has always been challenging.
A great night at SJP' Stack. Paul Mitchell is canny funny like & the long term plans for the club sounds very positive for Newcastle. Also… to me sounds like they're leaning towards a new stadium, which makes perfect sense. The future's bright, it's black & white! #NUFC ?? pic.twitter.com/EzgDusLcEx
— Daniel T. Johnson (@GeordieDan) November 20, 2024
August 2024: Final decision ‘imminent'
In an interview with the i in August 2024, Miller, announced that the club will soon make a final decision regarding the stadium project. He stated:
“The stadium investment is genuinely a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and we want to ensure that we get it right.”
Miller acknowledged that this process might be frustrating for some, explaining, “There’s a lot for us to consider, which is why we are taking our time to ensure that our next steps will be the right ones.”
The report also indicated that the club prefers to renovate St James' Park rather than construct a new stadium. However, the current facility’s proximity to listed buildings presents significant planning challenges.
Additionally, it was confirmed that the project will require billions of pounds, with the costs associated with a new stadium described as “eye-watering.”
A final decision is expected to be communicated to supporters before autumn.
March 2024: Feasibility report
In March 2024, it was revealed that Newcastle's owners commissioned a feasibility report on St James' Park to assess whether their ambitious plans for the club's future could be realised at the current stadium.
While the owners prefer the option of redeveloping St James' Park, they are also exploring other locations within the city in case building a brand-new stadium elsewhere proves to be more logistically and financially feasible.
The report outlined two alternative options: either constructing a new stadium on the banks of the River Tyne near the city's railway station, or demolishing the existing St James' Park and building a new stadium in its place.
A third option has been considered for Leazes Park.
Where would Newcastle's new stadium be?
As per the study done by the club, if a new stadium is the plan, then the club seems to have two options. Build near the river, however, Leazes Park has always been the more likely option.
Newcastle's projected Leazes Park Stadium venue
This would not be the first time the club has explored Leazes Park as a potential site for a new stadium. Back in 1995, the club drew up plans for such a stadium.
As the plans in the image above clearly show, the stadium would have been just a stone's throw from St James' Park. Plans were in place for a 55,000-capacity stadium. While that seems low considering SJP already stands at 52,000, the new plans had room for expansion, with a possible third tier pushing it to 70,000.
The new site would still have complications, and the club would likely face a lot of public backlash. However, if the club were to offer the St James' Park land back to the council, it could be seen as a compromise that works for everyone.
Leazes Park Stadium would allow the club to invest more in the area as well, and with plans in 1995, there would likely be scope to increase the capacity.
Ultimately, the issues with expanding St James' Park are the critical reasons for moving. Even the most ambitious ideas from design firms only look at 60,000 to 65,000 at most if you want to improve St James' Park.
With talk of the PIF wanting to write “one cheque”, it would seem to add even more fuel to the fire of a new stadium.
Potential Newcastle new stadium capacity
With talk of “doubling profit” and with waiting lists for season tickets well over 40,000, it would be safe to assume that any new stadium would have a capacity of at least 70,000.
Given that Old Trafford is currently the largest at 74,900, the club could go all out to create their own ‘Wembley of the North‘ given the budget the PIF could spend.
The PIF is also constructing a new stadium in Riyadh called the King Salman Stadium, which is expected to be around 92,000 in capacity.
With rumours that the same firm building had consulted Newcastle United, it could give us a window into the potential.
Newcastle new stadium cost
When plans to improve St James' Park were first put on the table, talk of a £1b investment was thrown around.
While the cost of a new stadium is hard to guess, we know that Everton's new stadium is likely to cost in excess of £500m, with Newcastle's capacity likely to be considerably higher, a fee above that would be expected.