The Newcastle United new stadium project may move forward in the coming weeks as the club's chairman is presented with both proposals.
Speculation about the future of Newcastle United's home has been ongoing since the PIF became the club's majority owner. In the last few months, however, the dye appears to have been cast, with two options now on the table.
However, news emerged on Monday, 24 February, that a key player in the decision-making process has now seen both plans. As he watched his side win 4-3 against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, Newcastle United chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan was presented with both proposals.
These two proposals are for an expansion of St James' Park to around 60,000 or a new 70,000-capacity stadium built “in the same area” as the current stadium.
St James' Park decision looms large
Reports from The Telegraph suggested that while Yasir Al-Rumayyan has seen the plans, a decision will take some time to consider. With an expected cost of over £1.5 billion, plans for a new stadium would need to be carefully considered. While there is the obvious PSR loophole from having a larger stadium, it's a huge investment in a project that the PIF only invested in three years ago.
An expansion of St James' Park would be the cheaper option, though an increase to nearly 60,000 is expected to be the final such expansion the stadium could handle. With the stadium set to host matches at the EUROs, St James' Park will likely need some level of work regardless of any new stadium decision.
Which option is favoured
Newcastle United’s ownership supports a new stadium at Leazes Park as plans to replace St James’ Park advance. Club officials emphasise that no decision has been made on a new stadium or expansion, likely pending a fan forum in March. The PIF, the club's majority owners, will decide on any project. Interest in a new stadium is growing among the fan base, but they are not fully convinced.
During the potential process of either building a new stadium or upgrading St James’ Park, the idea of the club moving stadium for a short period has been discussed, with two options being discussed. The Scottish National Rugby Stadium, Murrayfield, has been linked as a potential site for Newcastle to use if such a situation were to arise.
With a capacity of over 67,000, the famous rugby stadium would undoubtedly provide a fitting home for Newcastle United. However, the long journey for home fixtures would present a different problem, not only for fans but also for travelling sides.
While a number of members of the club's staff are said to favour staying at St James' Park, it does sound like a new stadium is the desire. It looks like convincing fans of this is the next issue the ownership faces.
FGG says: Baby steps towards change
I feel like I've written 10 different versions of the same opinion on this topic. As a fan of Newcastle United, I want us to stay at St James' Park. I like the history, the icon status, and just having a home for 100s of years. That said, I'm also aware of how modern football is changing the game, and for Newcastle to truly step up to the level they want to, they'll need to expand revenue.
One of the best ways is to simply increase the number of fans inside your stadium.
Simply increasing matchday revenue isn't the full story, however. Another key part of the strategy is to make the stadium fit to host other sporting and non-sporting events. St James' Park is notoriously a terrible stadium for hosting music events, for example.
In fact, Sam Fender almost cancelled his first appearance at St James' Park due to the logistics. This all leads to the new stadium being the most attractive option, and, over time, fans will likely come around to that thinking. After all, it's not like they have a choice.