Newcastle United fans remain in the dark about the club’s plans for St James’ Park.
The idea of stadium expansion has been floated ever since the PIF takeover, and two options have now emerged.
Either Newcastle stay at St James’ Park and expand to a capacity of 60,000 with major renovations to stands and facilities.
Expanding St James’ Park will cost between £800m and £1bn. Detailed architectural plans for the expansion have already been drawn up and studied ahead of the club’s official decision.
The other option is to build a completely new state-of-the-art stadium to help grow revenue and future-proof the club for decades to come.
A new stadium is estimated to cost up to £3bn but would provide a major uplift to income to help evade Profit and Sustainability Rules.
A general view during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Manchester City FC at St James' Park on September 28, 2024 in Newcas...
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
PIF’s stance on Newcastle United’s stadium decision
Before making an official decision, club chiefs have been keen to address fans and gather their thoughts.
Polls suggest Newcastle fans are leaning towards a new stadium, but moving away from St James’ Park will always be a controversial move.
MORE NEWCASTLE STORIES
Fans were initially expecting a decision to be made towards the end of 2024 but it has now been delayed.
According to The Athletic’s Chris Waugh, the stadium decision was delayed so club chiefs can “explore all avenues”.
“Club insiders, PIF sources and Newcastle’s hierarchy are adamant that the delay in making an announcement is due to their determination to explore all avenues and draw up a clear, deliverable plan, before it is made public and put to supporters for consultation.
“Brad Miller, the chief operating officer, insists that a ‘decision-making phase’ will commence in early 2025, while Darren Eales, the outgoing CEO, stressed at STACK last month that PIF will finance a stadium project if a “business case” can be made for it.
“Others with links to PIF and even some within the club are more sceptical about PIF’s willingness to commit the money needed to deliver a new stadium or rebuilt St James’ – it could cost in the late hundreds of millions, or even in excess of a billion, depending on the option chosen – but such fears have been dismissed by those close to the Saudis.”
Newcastle stadium build could begin in 2025
The timeline around Newcastle’s stadium project has become a bit hazy, but things will progress rapidly once an official decision is made.
READ MORE: Newcastle United fans all saying the same thing after FA Cup third round draw delivers League Two opponent
It is certainly not something to rush. As said by Brad Miller, this is a “once in a lifetime opportunity” and Newcastle must make sure they choose correctly.
Previous reports suggest “concrete” progress on the stadium can be expected by fans in 2025, with an official decision likely to be made early next year.
Related Posts