Newcastle United is set to launch plans to combine a new stadium with a city-wide regeneration project, according to The Telegraph. The Magpies are currently deciding whether to renovate their famous St James’ Park home or build a new stadium. The club is also exploring ways to finance an ambitious regeneration project that would modernise the entire city centre.
Newcastle is set to make a final decision on renovating St James’ Park or moving into a new home. The Magpies could build a new stadium next to their current ground with an increased capacity of 68,000. The club has also held discussions with the local government about funding a project to modernise and improve the city centre. The regeneration project includes plans to build new retail, leisure, and business buildings. Public transport links would also be improved and affordable housing built. The club’s owners, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), would invest in the project, but public money would also be needed. Newcastle’s new stadium is expected to be the third biggest in the UK when it is finalised, behind only Old Trafford and Wembley.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was quizzed on the club’s plans for a new stadium at the end of 2025 and called for some clarity.
“Fundamentally, looking at the club with a broader view, the training ground, the stadium, that part of the club is in limbo at the moment,” he said. “In terms of which direction the club is going to take, that would be a big step forward to get clarity on that and to take everything into the future in a really positive way. It would have a game-changing effect on everything. I am also talking about the academy in that and the brilliant work that goes on down there. If we can move everything forward in terms of facilities – not that I believe facilities are the be-all and end-all – but they are a great way of setting standards higher and showing your ambition in a really clear and strong way.
“If there is extra time taken to make the right decisions so the stadium project is correct, and it’s the right one for Newcastle for however many years the club are there, then take the extra time. It’s the same with the training ground. You need the right site and designs. I would rather it be correct than rushed. I know that there’s a 99.9% chance that I’m not going to see either in my position, but I’m still passionate about making sure it’s there for the future generations of Newcastle, whether that’s supporters or players.”
Newcastle chief executive David Hopkinson has said the club has yet to decide on whether to renovate St James’ Park or move to a new stadium.
“The truth is, we haven’t decided,” he told talkSPORT. “St. James’ is a magical place; it’s going to be an extraordinary place on Saturday when we play our next match. It’s 53,000; we think we could be bigger, and that, of course, is revenue, a major investment.
“We haven’t made the final decision on what we’re going to do here. We are working on this every day, deciding whether it’s here or a new site, whether it’s a renovation or a new stadium. But we’ve got an opportunity we’re pursuing and working on every day.
“All of our modelling and all of the capacity starts in the 65-68,000 range. I don’t think bigger than that is good, but we also want to think about whether we do something, it’s material and significant. 10-15,000 in here would be right.
“I think a new stadium is something we’re considering, but not really moving that far.
“We don’t want to be in some farmer’s field out in the middle of nowhere. What makes Newcastle so special, such a special place, is that St. James’ Park is right here in the centre of town, which makes sense. Everywhere that I’ve worked, I’ve had the privilege of having the arena or stadium right in the middle of town – it matters.
“Where the new Bernabeu is, the renovated Bernabeu, Madison Square Garden… location matters.
Newcastle will be back at home on Tuesday night when they face Qarabag in the second leg of their Champions League play-off. Howe’s side lead 5-1 from the first leg and so are on course to progress and play either Barcelona or Chelsea in the last 16.
