Newcastle United last month (November 2024) announced that fans would get an update early in 2025, as to whether the intention is to expand St James’ Park as much as possible, or build a totally new stadium on another site.
The club indicating that any brand new stadium, if that was the final plan, would be intended to be built as close as possible to the current St James’ Park site.
The widespread expectation that this would entail looking to build only yards to the north of St James’ Park, where Leazes Park and/or Castle Leazes is.
Now on Wednesday (11 December 2024) we have had an update on how an expanded St James’ Park could/would look, if remaining on the same site.
Newcastle United plan to make the Gallowgate End their answer to Borussia Dortmund’s ‘Yellow Wall’ as one of the largest stands in Europe, if the club decide to stay at St James’ Park.
An exclusive from The Telegraph says that they have been given a detailed update of the plans that have been drawn up, for an expanded St James’ Park.
It has always been taken for granted that any significant expansion of the St James’ Park site would rely mostly on a far bigger Gallowgate End.
The Telegraph say that with these plans that have been drawn up on behalf of the Newcastle United owners, the Gallowgate End would be the ‘jewel’ of an expanded St James’ Park, with the inspiration the ‘Yellow Wall’ at Borussia Dortmund, that 25,000 stand behind one goal is the biggest in Europe.
The report says that if these proposed drawn up plans go ahead, then they would also included a ‘rebuilt and expanded East Stand, with an anticipated final capacity when completed of around 65,000 at St James’ Park. If this is the option the Newcastle United owners go for, rather than a brand new stadium on a different site.
The newspaper reports that the Newcastle United owners have had these St James’ Park plans from the architects for some months now, with time taken to see what is the best potential way forward when having to deal with the likes of the listed buildings behind the East Stand, as well as the Metro tunnel behind the Gallowgate.
The Telegraph state though that their information is that all options remain on the table and a brand new stadium on a different site is still undber consideration as well. They add that Newcastle City Council are desperate for the club to remain at St James’ Park and would love to see a redevelopment of the surrounding area, though also willing to listen to any alternative proposals that would involve staying with similar access of the city centre for Newcastle United fans going to matches.
As well as bars, restaurants and other multi-use spaces to boost revenue streams incorporated into a newly expanded Gallowgate End, the report says that the drawn up plans would see the new massive stand built over the road, with a tunnel running underneath for traffic.
The land opposite the Gallowgate End was always seen as key to any major expansion of St James’ Park. The club buying that long lease when Sir John Hall and Freddie Shepherd were in charge, only for Mike Ashley to sell it from the club to himself and then on to developers for personal profit.
The current owners thankfully acting swiftly to buy back that lease/land before developers could build on it.
The Stack ‘fanzone’ currently stands on that land, with the club previously announcing that the intention was to have that fanzone as a short-term plan, before anything was decided long-term, regarding the future stadium plans.
The Telegraph say that the plans drawn up, would/could then see a massive new Gallowgate End extended over the road and be connected up with the land where Stack currently is, to then become ‘an ambitious redevelopment of the land’, something which of course Newcastle City Council would be very keen to see happen as well. To massively enhance this area of the city centre.