Newcastle United have announced that the Sela St James’ STACK’s contract has been extended, but the message has made one big suggestion about the future of St James’ Park.
Fans are desperate to learn what the fate of the existing stadium is; they have been left wondering whether St James’ Park will remain in place, or if it will be knocked down in favour of a new state-of-the-art stadium which will be one of the biggest in the country.
Newcastle United were supposed to announce a decision on stadium plans at the end of June. However, new reports have stated that the club are now pushing the announcement back even further.
The decision may be due to Darren Eales’ imminent departure from Newcastle. They may be waiting for a new CEO to step in to make the decision, or need a bit more time with the designs.
It was revealed that Newcastle are looking to build a 70,000-seater stadium in Leazes Park, suggesting that they have already made up their mind on St James’ Park’s future, and are just putting final touches on plans before making the news public.
Newcastle confirmed plans to extend St James’ STACK’s contract until 2031 on Thursday. While that looks like a normal announcement on the outside, it shows that one thing is almost a certainty.
Newcastle United fans put on a display before their game against Brentford
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Newcastle United’s St James’ STACK announcement guarantees a new stadium
Since it opened in 2024, the St James’ STACK has been a good money-spinner for the club, significantly exceeding revenue expectations.
It is believed that Newcastle officials have been very pleased with the STACK, so giving it a new deal was a logical thing to do.
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However, what some fans may have missed was that 2031 is the proposed date for when the new stadium is set to be finished. That effectively means that PIF have already made their final decision on building the new stadium, and they are now just waiting for the announcement.
Newcastle fans have been torn between building a new stadium and expanding St James’ Park, but the majority now seem open to a new ground for increased revenue. PIF are very keen on building a new stadium for Newcastle, with their decision believed to be more apparent when they learned that Leazes Park was an option for them.
Reports have also stated that a new stadium will cost Newcastle around £1.2bn, but that is a fee that PIF can afford with little issue.
Newcastle United stadium announcement delay reflects chaos behind the scenes
It is fair to say that the last 18 months have been anything but easy for Newcastle behind the scenes. After his appointment in July 2024, Paul Mitchell has left Newcastle without making a single first-team addition.
His exit will soon be followed by Eales, who is awaiting the arrival of a new CEO before he departs after being diagnosed with blood cancer. Newcastle fans were also baffled by the announcement that the club are exploring a new badge design. Concept art was revealed shortly after the announcement, which did not go down well.
Now, fans are still left waiting to hear about what is going to happen with the stadium plans after being promised an announcement in the first quarter of 2025.
Many are hoping that things will return to normal once the summer transfer window is over and new staff are hired to replace those who are leaving or have already left.