'Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' – Newcastle set date for major decision over new stadium

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Newcastle will reportedly decide on the future of their home stadium next year, which could mean a St. James’ Park exit.

The Magpies have played at their iconic ground ever since they were founded as Newcastle United FC in 1892.

St. James’ Park has undergone various renovations and the most recent improvements in 2002 saw the capacity increase to 52,350.

The Athletic reports that Newcastle are exploring the possibility of renovating the stadium even further, with ‘many’ club members and manager Eddie Howe said to favour this.

However, ‘serious’ consideration is being given to the idea of building an entire new ground that would see them relocate.

Newcastle fans will be consulted ahead of a final decision, a stage that is said to be scheduled for the early months of 2025.

Chief operating officer Brad Miller spoke on the decision-making process during the week at a ‘We Are United’ fan event.

"It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he claimed. “Do we invest and transform St. James' as we see it today on the site where we are? Or do we take that bold move and think about moving?

“We want to make sure it is a very robust process. So regardless of the outcome, I want to stand up in front of everybody throughout the process and say, ‘This is why it is a logical decision, with long-term competitiveness in mind.’

“Because as you have heard a lot, it is all about revenue and PSR [Premier League profit and sustainability rules].

“We have to work hard to make sure we give as much money as possible to Paul [Mitchell, sporting director’ and the football side in order to remain competitive on the field. In terms of next steps, we are coming towards the end of the next stage, the briefing stage.

“There are a lot of risks and opportunities at St. James'. We have to take time to dig into those and make sure we've got the devil in the detail in terms of the programme, how long it will take and what it will do for us in terms of revenue.”

Redevelopment, or the ‘transforming’, of St. James’ Park would create an ‘amazing’ appearance and ‘earn significantly more money’.

Moving nearby could offer ‘a lot more seats’ and see the club ‘earn more than twice as much in terms of revenue’.

Leazes Park has been a reported option for Newcastle but given it’s a protected green space, there may be difficulties with this.

Speaking further on the matter, Miller added: “We have also taken the opportunity to look at what will a new stadium 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 in an iconic location, the atmosphere and the competitive edge it gives the team on the pitch, and 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 matchdays and non-matchdays, a bit like STACK [fan zone].

“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.”