Newcastle United are set to make a decision on the future of St James’ Park by the end of the 2024/25 season.
It’s a decision that fans have been waiting years to hear: will St James’ Park be expanded or demolished in favour of a new state-of-the-art stadium?
Thankfully for Newcastle United fans, they should not have to wait much longer for that decision to come, but all signs lead to a new ground rather than expanding what is already in place.
St James’ Park is a historical stadium for many reasons, its unique city centre location and stunning architecture are just two fantastic pros for the ground.
However, it may not be in place in the years to come as Newcastle have created promotional content for a new stadium, perhaps suggesting that the PIF will ultimately decide to demolish the existing ground.
PIF want Newcastle in a new stadium, in a move that would cost around £1.2bn and give the club a new 65,000-seater home for the next generation of fans to enjoy.
With the new stadium project beginning to gather more speed, Newcastle chief Brad Miller has made a big promise to fans who may be reluctant to leave St James’ Park behind.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Brad Miller makes huge Newcastle stadium revenue claim
Miller has been appointed as the leader of the stadium project after successfully delivering developments like East Midlands, Stansted and Manchester airports.
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Newcastle fans spoke to Miller in late 2024 to hear what the club’s plans for a new ground were in the future. Miller said that they are ‘seriously’ considering the new stadium because of how much growth it would give the club in the future.
According to the Guardian, Miller recently spoke to a nine-person fan advisory body, assuring them that a new stadium will double Newcastle’s matchday revenue. Miller claims that Newcastle will be able to achieve that figure by including more corporate hospitality and more leisure facilities within the proposed new stadium, which will only be a stone’s throw away from St James’ Park.
Newcastle released their financial accounts for the 2023/24 season earlier in March, where it was revealed that the Magpies had brought in £50.1m in matchday revenue. Miller is aiming to break the £100m mark by getting the club into a new stadium.
Newcastle can still stay at St James’ Park should the PIF choose to do so, despite the suggestion that the decision may have already been made for them. £800m St James’ Park plans were presented to PIF while chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan visited the city.
Will Newcastle’s stadium development impact their PSR position?
Newcastle have battled with PSR for the last year, hampering their transfer plans and forcing them to sell key assets.
Elliot Anderson and Yankba Minteh left Newcastle after it was revealed that the Magpies needed to dig their way out of a £60m PSR black hole that would have seen them handed a points deduction if they didn’t get themselves out of it.
Thankfully, infrastructure is exempt from PSR, but Newcastle should be aware that expenditure from the stadium are only exempt from PSR during the construction phase of the new ground.
Although in reality, Newcastle’s overall budget is sure to take a hit based on the £1.2bn they are set to spend if they opt to build a new super stadium.
Should PIF opt to build a new stadium, Newcastle would join the likes of Everton and Manchester United who are planning to do or have already done the same.