Newcastle United supporters remain in the dark over St James' Park's futureplaceholder image
Newcastle United supporters remain in the dark over St James' Park's future | Getty Images
Newcastle United - not Euro 2028 - should be leading the charge in updating supporters on St James’ Park’s future.
Newcastle United supporters, albeit through the back door, were given assurances on St James’ Park’s short-term future last night. The iconic Cathedral on the Hill might yet see its 150th birthday after being officially rubber-stamped as a host venue for five fixtures at Euro 2028 - two years short of a sesquicentennial.
Fans of a certain age will remember Euro 96, the last time England hosted a major tournament. St James’ Park catered for Group B, with France, Bulgaria and Romania allowing for greats like Zinedine Zidane, Hristo Stoichkov and Gheorghe Hagi to grace the Tyneside turf.
The UK and Ireland will host the tournament - with no home nations guaranteed a spot. Barring a disaster, England should qualify for the competition and, if they do so, will be placed in Group B.
England to play at St James’ Park?
The Three Lions are set to kick off their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad - named the City of Manchester Stadium for sponsorship reasons - with Wembley hosting the final two group matches. But what has truly got North East football fans excited is that, if England top the group, their last-16 clash will take place at St James’ Park.
St James’ Park future decided… for now
St James’ Park’s future has been arguably the most divisive issue on Tyneside since the Saudi-backed takeover. Brad Miller, Newcastle’s Chief Operating Officer, is the head honcho behind the multi-million-pound decision to revamp or rebuild the current structure.
Expanding the iconic ground is a logistical nightmare - hence the lopsided architecture - due to its location near Leazes Park Terrace and Gallowgate Metro Station. NewcastleWorld understands the club’s preference is to build a multi-purpose venue on the adjacent Leazes Park.
This plan has already met resistance from residents, with over 28,000 penning a petition earlier this year. Newcastle’s unique, city-centre location is crucial to the local economy and a non-negotiable with supporters for any potential rebuild.
Supporters of the new ground believe it can help the Magpies navigate the choppy PSR waters that prevent them from overtaking the elite. However, critics reject tearing down over 140 years of history and the bedrock of the club purely for financial gain.
Despite Miller promising an update in “early 2025” last year, the silence has been deafening on the stadium front. For now, traditionalists can celebrate St James’ Park as Newcastle’s home for another three years given the Euro 2028 decision - but supporters deserve answers soon.
Out of respect for the millions who have taken the pilgrimage to Barrack Road since its beginnings in 1880, Newcastle should be the ones updating their supporters - and regularly - on the issue. Now this is not calling for a daily briefing, but “early 2025” should mean exactly that. It should not be left up to an outside force to de facto determine St James’ Park’s destiny.
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What Brad Miller said in full
"This is an exciting but extremely complex project, and I'd like to thank supporters for their patience as we conduct this key phase of the feasibility process,” he told fans at an event in October 2024. "We aren't quite at a decision-making stage yet, but we are targeting the early part of 2025 to complete the next essential tasks.
"We know what a transformed St James' Park would give us and we now have a significant amount of data and feedback on our stadium footprint and surrounding area, so we are several steps forward. But it is also clear that this option has several risks associated with it, so we need to fully analyse those risks against the opportunities to reach truly informed and intelligent outcomes.
"We are challenging our appointed design team, and ourselves, to make sure our eventual chosen route delivers a fantastic fan experience - one that represents the fans, city, region and club, and aligns with the long-term ambitions of our ownership group. But it must provide an investable return, and not least deliver strong revenue growth to increase our PSR headroom, which, as everyone knows, means we can invest more in football.
"Part of the process is also to understand alternative options so that we see the bigger picture and, again, find the right balance between risk and opportunity. This is a once-in-a-generation investment, so we don't want to look back in years to come, as a club or as a city, and regret an opportunity missed.
"Our objective is to select a scheme that is deliverable, affordable, and sustainable, so we are investing this time to make sure we are only going to spend money on the project where it will make the biggest difference - to fan experience, revenue, competitiveness, investment in football and operational efficiency. All this requires a robust process that leaves no stone unturned.”
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