CEO David Hopkinson has spoken about the ambition behind the scenes at Newcastle and the prospect of a new stadium announcement
Newcastle United CEO David Hopkinson has been speaking about plans for St James' Park
Newcastle United CEO David Hopkinson has been speaking about plans for St James' Park
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Newcastle United CEO David Hopkinson has responded to talk that an end-of-year decision is in the pipeline for either a new stadium or improved St James' Park.
The Toon supremo is acutely aware that fans want some clarity on the stadium after being promised an update in April 2025. However, that did not come to pass and the exit of Darren Eales, combined with Hopkinson's arrival, resulted in the ex-New York Rangers chief reviewing all aspects of life at St James' - including the need for a new ground.
The CEO responded to reports that an end-of-year announcement is in place. Hopkinson speaking to Prime Video said: "The truth is that if the ambition is to drive higher revenues, then we need to look at the support we get - which is amazing from the local community, and the fact that we could sell more than that.
"More capacity is a big option for us, and whether that’s here at St James’ Park or somewhere else, we don’t know. We’re working on it every day but do not have a timescale for that just yet."
Newcastle know a new ground is imperative in order to compete with the top five in the Premier League.
The Canadian said: "This is a long-term project for Newcastle and myself. I came here with high conviction, and this project needs to be viewed as a couple of stages.
"The first being between now and 2030 which is getting organised and raising ambitions from what we maybe previously had, and to then develop the people, players and infrastructure to ensure that revenue we talked about pays off on the pitch."
After a barren transfer window, Hopkinson said: “The rules are the rules, and they are changing from PSR to SER which we are very supportive of. What’s most important for us is to drive the revenue up here.
"This is a self-help operation because the way the rules work is that we can only spend on salaries what we make in revenue, so we need to raise what we make.”
And speaking on Eddie Howe's future after recent unrest from some sections of fans, Hopkinson said: "Eddie Howe is so important to this club and what he’s done here, lifting the club’s first trophy in 70 years with the Carabao Cup last year, is remarkable. What he’s doing on the day-to-day, working incredibly hard, has the support of the club and the ownership."
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