How Newcastle United's stadium could look in 2035 amid PIF's £1bn St James' Park masterplan
10/07/2024 11:30 AM
Demand for tickets at Newcastle United is exceeding supply and long-held plans to expand St James’ Park – or perhaps move to a new stadium altogether – are gathering pace.
With a capacity of approximately 52,000, St James’ Park is currently the seventh largest in the Premier League having last been renovated in the year 2000.
But Newcastle, with their iconic city-centre ground, have fallen further behind Liverpool and Man City following their expansion projects in recent years.
West Ham’s move to the London Stadium meanwhile has seen their matchday income soar, and Everton are set to enjoy the same effect from 2025-26, which will be their first at Bramley Moore Dock.
What’s more, Leeds United, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace – who might be considered Newcastle’s peer group in terms of their fanbases – have all got the green light to increase capacity too.
Chelsea and Man United, who Newcastle hope to soon consider a direct rival in terms of their status as regulars in Europe, also intend to spend billions on a either a rebuild or a brand new stadium entirely.
Newcastle are desperate to raise revenue in order to carve out more leeway for squad improvements under Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) – and matchday income is a crucial battleground.
There have been several new updates recently and a new report has given some indication about what the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) might have in the works.
The future of football stadiums as Newcastle’s St James’ Park plans accelerate
When Saudi Arabia released concept images of their 2034 World Cup stadiums, it was emblematic of just how ambitious PIF are when it comes to infrastructure projects.
After years of neglect under Mike Ashley, when Newcastle were among the lowest infrastructure spenders in the top flight, news of the stadium and training ground plans have been warmly welcomed in NE1.
There are a number of factors that make improving and expanding St James’ Park an exceedingly difficult task, but the board have briefed that their priority is staying at the famous old stadium.
Darren Eales – who will soon step down from his role as Newcastle CEO due to ill health – has said that a final decision is imminent.
PIF have near limitless wealth and it has been strongly suggested that they will spare no expense in this department, with reports of £1bn masterplan at St James’ Park ringing true.
The futuristic 2034 World Cup stadiums will be the apex in stadium design and a report from industry experts Global Data has forecasted how the bar will be raised over the next decade in Newcastle and beyond.
And it appears that technology will be the main focus, with AI expected to drive revenue on Tyneside just as much the bricks and mortar that will accommodate more supporters.
- Tech-enhanced stadiums using artificial intelligence, augmented reality and robotics
- 6G networks providing high bandwidth and low latency for seamless connectivity
- Frictionless entry systems for easy stadium access
- AI-powered payments and service robots for convenience
- Digital signage for dynamic, personalized content
- 16K resolution broadcasts for ultra-high-quality viewing experiences
- AI-translated commentary in real-time across all major languages
- Personalized sponsorship messaging for fans
- Augmented reality and virtual reality experiences for enhanced viewing, including player perspective recreations
- Real-time analytics and tailored fan experiences driven by AI and machine learning
- AI-powered security and visitor guidance through robotics
- Environmentally sustainable stadium operations, powered by renewable energy
- Sustainable merchandise and packaging practices
What Newcastle have said about PSR and St James’ Park redevelopment
So far, Newcastle’s strategy to short-circuit PSR has focused predominantly on commercial income, which is an easier way to realise short to sizable financial gains quickly.
But PIF’s lofty ambitions on Tyneside mean they will use every lever available to give Eddie Howe and Paul Mitchell the best platform to achieve glory on the pitch.
It has become increasingly apparent that player trading will need to be more central to this. Mitchell has said that he admires Liverpool’s approach to buying ‘development players’, for example.
It is the stadium project, however, that will resonate most with fans.
Newcastle currently earn just shy of £40m per season from matchday income, but increasing capacity by at least 10,000 while simultaneously upgrading hospitality and other features will drastically improve that.
The Magpies have recently appointed Roger Thornton to the board of directors. Significantly, Thornton’s background is in property and city-centre infrastructure projects.
With the Premier League set to move to a new PSR system from next season that will tie spending more tightly to revenue, it will be full speed ahead for him and the rest of the stadium taskforce.
