Newcastle United appear to have dropped their biggest hint yet regarding the future of St James’ Park.
Magpies chiefs have been weighing up whether to extend St James’ Park after completing a feasibility study last year or build a new stadium close by on Leazes Park. A decision is expected to be made public in the coming months.
Sources close to the club insist a final decision has not been made, but a report by The Guardian strongly suggests a new state-of-the-art stadium is the preferred choice.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan - the club’s chairman and governor of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia - was in attendance for Newcastle’s 4-3 victory over Nottingham Forest on February 23. The next day, Al-Rumayyan hosted a meeting with the club’s top brass at Matfen Hall in Northumberland.
The future of St James’ Park was top of the agenda and it’s claimed Al-Rumayyan was presented with a promotional video showing what a new 65,000-seater stadium on Leazes Park would look like. As reported by Mail Online, United favour a ‘bubble-wrap-type’ exterior like Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena.
The video is said to begin with an aerial shot of the green space surrounding the Grade II-listed Leazes Park before homing in on the new stadium. Its location would retain the city centre location without impeding on Newcastle’s current home and ability to play there.
Footage has since been shared with senior staff and the club’s Fan Advisory Board.
What Newcastle United CEO Darren Eales has said
Earlier this month, Newcastle chief executive officer Darren Eales was asked about the new stadium plans and said: “It's a huge decision for the club, something we've spoken about being a once-in-a-generation decision. It's something we want to get right.
“We're at a situation where we did the initial feasibility, we followed that up, we've discussed it with our ownership and we want to make sure we have got everything right, all our ducks in a row.
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“We said that we'd talk with the fans and the Fan Advisory Board but this is an opportunity and ownership is very much looking to make this investment, we just want to make sure it's the right investment, strategically for the club, the city, the region and that takes us doing a lot of work, due diligence and making sure at the right time that we go to those external stakeholders as well and get everyone aligned.
“We're looking to get something done in the near future but I can't really say anymore than that. Work is going on and I think you've seen it from just the general discussions we've had it is something we're taking very seriously because it's a hugely important decision.
Brad Miller leads the St James’ Park project
Brad Miller told supporters at a STACK event in November that a new stadium would help Newcastle maximise revenue and combat Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
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Miller said: “As you have heard a lot, it is all about revenue and PSR. We have to work hard to make sure everybody contributes to that to make sure we give as much money as possible to Paul (Mitchell) and the football side in order to remain competitive on the field. We are coming towards the end of the next stage, the briefing stage.
"We have also taken the opportunity to look at what a new stadium would look like. It's not comparing apples with apples, they are not like for like. It's comparing apples with pears. The brilliant thing about St James' is it is an iconic location, the atmosphere and the competitive edge it gives the team on the pitch. It has 52,000 seats already.
"But a new stadium doesn't have that and we'd have to pay for all those seats again. A new stadium has the potential to earn a lot more, both on match days and non-match days. It is giving us an indication that we can actually contribute even more to the football club and football side if we had a new stadium.”