Newcastle United's 60,000 'stadium dream' badly needed as East Stand fence row sparks intrigue


Newcastle United fans are eagerly waiting for the results 10 months on after being invited to take part in a feasibility study.

The scheme, launched in December 2023 and operated by CAA ICON, was described as "exploring the art of the possible" by CEO Darren Eales with some fans dreaming of a St James' Park expansion and others debating the pros and cons of moving stadium. Chief Operating Officer Brad Miller dropped hints about the impending announcement on St James' next big move when indicating it would be a big decision that essentially be Newcastle laying out plans for their "forever home".

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You won't be able to convince some supporters that moving ground is a good idea. Newcastle have slipped from second to seventh in terms of the biggest capacities at club level in England and that will become eighth when Everton open their new Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium - a new St James' Park dream is badly needed now.

Moving ground fits in with Newcastle's continued talk of increasing revenue streams and improving their PSR status. Although, so would increasing the capacity of St James' Park IF it can be done.

Not since the year 2000 have United managed to do so when the sight of huge constructions in the Milburn Stand and Leazes End went on impressively as Premier League football was played on the hallowed turf below during the Sir Bobby Robson era. By the end of the 1999/2000 season, it was clear that Newcastle would soon have a stadium that matched their ambition.

But that was then and this is now. With thousands of supporters locked out of St James' Park the hunger for season tickets has increased again and if Newcastle are to achieve Yasir Al-Rumayyan's dream of being "number 1" a decision has to be made on the home of the Magpies.

This season Newcastle have again ensured a bit of housekeeping by replacing the faded club crests on Barrack Road with shiny new signs. At the other end of St James' a row continues to brew between the owner of a small piece of land next to the East Stand and the club.

A two-foot wooden fence was erected before the Tottenham game this month before being taken down. Have Toon chiefs tried to hoover up the tight space around the East Stand in order gain as much land as possible in that part of the city?

Regardless of what Newcastle can or can't do at St James' Park, it has always been feasible that the East Stand area of the ground - opened in 1973 and currently houses 5,000 fans - will be the area that can somehow be upgraded. A generation of supporters have been brought up on talk that because Leazes Terrace is Grade I listed building there isn't much that can be done to increase the capacity in that part of the ground.

The results of the feasibility report will tell us more. Going back to CCO Miller's observations back in August when he stated that Newcastle only want to write "one cheque" it will be intriguing to see if St James' Park can be increased exactly what that capacity will then be.

Would anything close to 60,000 be enough? Or if the club genuinely does want to push on and dominate Europe, which feels a long way from where we are now, is a 75,000 home, capable of staging other sports and concerts, more suitable?

Newcastle United fans support their team with a trefoil display in the East Stand
Newcastle United fans support their team with a trefoil display in the East Stand

Miller's words last month allowed the mind to boggle a little bit. He said: "The stadium investment is genuinely a once-in-a-generation opportunity and we want to make sure that we get that right. And I think we're doing that against the backdrop of, in the UK, we haven't got a great track record of delivering really big projects and delivering on time and successfully and making sure they work right from the absolute outset.

"So there's a lot for us to think about and that's why we are, maybe frustratingly for people, taking our time to make sure that our next steps are going to be the right ones. Because whilst we've got the ability to invest and the commitment and the ambition to invest from the ownership, we only want to write that cheque once, so we want to make sure we get it absolutely right for everybody that's involved with the club."

He also spoke about the debate on staying at St James' or moving and said: "People are okay with being a bit open-minded and sort of exploring what might that mean.

"Other people are just... No, no. Just oppose it straight away. And the reason, when I ask why is that, they give the reasons of, that's where my parents took me, that's where my grandparents took me, I've got all of that emotion, I've got all that feeling."

Whatever the club's findings of the feasibility report, there was an earlier pledge to consult supporters first on the next step. Having finally landed ambitious owners, pushing the club to the next level on all fronts is proving to be a challenge - albeit a welcome one for supporters.