Newcastle ‘seriously’ considering move away from St James’ Park

Newcastle United’s chief operating officer, Brad Miller, has revealed that the Premier League club is considering moving to a new stadium as it weighs up a potential redevelopment of St James’ Park.

Newcastle announced last month that it would be entering a “decision stage” for its stadium development plans in early 2025. The club has engaged CAA ICON to conduct a feasibility study of St James’ Park, with the strategic management consulting firm having organised a fan survey to gauge opinion on future stadium options.

It has been reported that Newcastle could face a bill of between £800m (€961m/$1bn) and £1bn should it choose to remain at a redeveloped St James’ Park. According to The Telegraph, redevelopment plans would focus on the expansion and redevelopment of the East Stand and Gallowgate End, increasing the capacity of the stadium from around 52,000 to more than 60,000.

The club is yet to reveal any specific details regarding its plans, with these expected to be firmed up in the new year. However, Miller suggested yesterday (Wednesday) that the club would be open to a move away from St James’ Park.

Miller was speaking at a fan forum event at Stack, a new 3,000-capacity fanzone that opened at the stadium ahead of this season. The event was also attended by chief executive Darren Eales, sporting director Paul Mitchell, chief commercial officer Peter Silverstone and chief financial officer Simon Capper.

Miller said, according to The Athletic: “It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 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 (profit and sustainability rules). We have to work hard to make sure we give as much money as possible to Paul and the football side in order to remain competitive on the field.”

Miller pointed to the “risks and opportunities” involved in redeveloping St James’ Park. The stadium is among the bigger venues in the Premier League, but expansion has been restricted by its proximity to residential areas.

Since Newcastle was bought by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in October 2021, expansion and improvement of the stadium has been viewed as a key priority. The stadium is due to be a host venue at UEFA Euro 2028.

Miller added: “We have also taken the opportunity to look at what a new stadium will 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 match days and non-match days, a bit like Stack. 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.”

It has been reported that Leazes Park, which is located next to St James’ Park, could house a new stadium. Miller said the club is weighing up whether to transform St James’ Park into a venue that earns “significantly more money” or move to a new home that could have “a lot more seats”.

Miller presented supporters at yesterday’s event with two choices: staying at a redeveloped St James’ Park or moving “not too far away”. He said the second option is being looked at “seriously” and has the potential to earn the club more than twice as much in terms of revenue. The majority of the room were said to have favoured the second option.

Miller has previously described the project as “exciting but extremely complex” and stressed the need to analyse the risks and opportunities that will come with a stadium expansion.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Newcastle was planning to begin talks with operators of the Tyne and Wear Metro as it enters the advanced stages of its feasibility study.

Discussions are said to centre around the underground station beneath the Gallowgate Stand, which makes any rebuilding job highly complex.