According to The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, Newcastle United have decided to extend St James’ Park instead of rebuilding in a new location.
Newcastle United have been on a journey for success since their takeover two and a half years ago, with the owners wanting to take the club from mediocrity and relegation battles to competing for trophies.
In a short time, the North East club have seen instant results from their investment and transformation so far, with a fourth-place finish last season and Champions League qualification, as well as their first trip to a domestic cup final at Wembley last year since 1999.
Despite a struggle to replicate or improve upon the successes of last season, the owners of the club remain committed to building a force to be reckoned with on Tyneside, and today a new update has been revealed on the plans for St James’ Park.
The Telegraph are now reporting that Newcastle have opted to extend the stadium instead of building it elsewhere in a multi-million redevelopment project at St James’ Park.
As per the report, the club is now ready to move forward with renovations after carrying out a feasibility study over the last six months and plans would see the stadium increase to a 60,000 capacity by the time the European Championships commence in 2028, as Newcastle are one of the home cities.
Although it was originally thought that the Newcastle owners would look to move the stadium slightly over to Leazes Park, rebuilding it in its entirety from the ground up, now the plan looks to be to create a multi-functional sports venue that can host sporting events and concerts, giving visitors a unique and spectacular in a modernised St James’ Park.
Despite the plans being set in place and a decision being finally reached, the redevelopment of the stadium is not set to take place before the end of the year and will still require the support and financial backing of relevant stakeholders.
Should Newcastle stay at St James’ Park?
There is no doubt that there has been an overwhelming amount of supporters who rightfully want St James’ Park to remain as Newcastle United’s home ground and with good reason.
The stadium has always been the beating heart of the city and is one of the most accessible stadiums in the country in terms of it’s location, so moving it was always going to be an unpopular decision amongst matchday fans.
With that being said, if the owners and stakeholders can invest healthily into the renovations over the coming months ahead, there is no reason why the club can’t keep everyone happy, whilst increasing revenue and welcoming in even more supporters on match days.
