Fresh St James' Park claim as Newcastle United confirm major deadline

Newcastle chief operating officer Brad Miller delivered an update on the stadium feasibility study this week to members of the Fan Advisory Board. As part of a comprehensive presentation, the club outlined that the study has now entered a crucial second phase, with more detailed analysis currently taking place to investigate project-related risks and opportunities before a decision stage in early 2025.

Should the Magpies stay at St James’ Park - their home since its birth in 1892 - or build a world-class arena elsewhere in the city? It is a debate that is splitting opinion, and here’s everything Howe said on the matter:

St James’ Park - redevelop or build a new stadium?

“It’s a difficult one for someone like myself who people will want to know my opinion but I’m not based with all the facts. I’m not hearing the pros and cons behind all the decisions. I think my natural instincts was always to stay at St James’ Park.

“It’s an incredible place to play football. It’s our home, so to think about moving somewhere else feels a little bit of a betrayal to somewhere that has served us so well, but we are well aware that as a football club we need to increase our revenue so people with more brain cells will make the decision for the benefit of the long term future of the football club and that’s always the most important thing so I could be swayed but just my natural instinct is to want to stay.”

Got a sense how delicate stadium decision is for those above you?

“Absolutely. It's a massive decision because it will affect the next how many years of the football club. It's a decision where you won't be able to please everybody.

“There will be different opinions. It's truly only the people assessing the pros and cons that can really make the decision. It's very easy to give an opinion from the outside. Until you know all the facts, it's very difficult to. You've got a huge thing on cost, the extra revenue you could get, so it's a huge decision to make.”

What makes St James' so unique?

"The positioning where it is in the city is totally unique. I'd hate to see the stadium move from its current position because it dominates the eyeline of the whole city and you can see it from miles around. That's really inspiring. Wherever you are in Newcastle, you get a glimpse and, personally, I always think to the next game where we are going to be there.

“When you're in it, I don't know how it creates it, but the atmosphere, the look of the stadium, is a beautiful thing. I love being there, I love experiencing games there and I love winning there. That's the best bit.”

How big does St James’ Park need to be?

“I think conjuring a figure is difficult but you can see the demand is there. I think you could have almost any size stadium you want to a degree and it would be full. Which I think it would. When you build a stadium you don’t want to see empty seats. You want it full of people. Go back to the Wimbledon game and you see a sold out venue. That is the appetite from fans here and all over the world to come and watch the team play. Which is a magnificent starting point.

“It is such a difficult decision to say that is the blueprint of ambition. That simplifies the decision but I can only imagine the detail they are going through to make the right decision for the long term benefit of the club.”

How unique is the stadium for you and the players?

“It is unique. I always said when I was an opposing manager coming to St James’ Park the first time I managed there I was like wow, I’ve never managed in a stadium quite like that. It did help that we won the game because you always have positive memories on a win but, and I’m not lying here, this is me and my staff talking and we’d been to every ground in the Premier League near enough by that point and St James’ Park was one of the last we’d been to and yeah, it blew us away.

“It’s not necessarily the biggest, there’s just something about the look of the stadium and the feel of it. When you’re there it’s just a great place to play football.”

So if the club was to move it would lose something special?

“Yeah, possibly, but then I think you have to look at what you could gain. You can’t just look at what you’re going to lose. What you could gain could be equally as special and the club has to move forward.

“It can’t be stuck in the past or be romantic to a degree. There’s finances to thin of and that will affect the long-term success of the club so that is why it’s not a clearcut decision.”