St James’ Park, a former cattle-grazing field, became a 52,000-seater football stadium in 2000. Vitriol at the thought of moving in the mid-90s led to Freddy Shepherd staying put, expanding to one of the biggest grounds in English football.
At the turn of the century, only Manchester United boasted a higher capacity in the Premier League. But the ground, barring a lick of paint here and there, has remained unchanged ever since.
Disputes with local residents have plagued St James’ Park’s existence for as long as it has hosted football matches - which dates back to when Newcastle Rangers called the venue their home in 1880. To this day, heated debate persists whenever stadium expansion or the dreaded fear of moving is brought up
Geordies have flocked to the “Cathedral on the Hill” for almost 150 years but rival grounds have caught up. Newcastle World takes a look at the highest 20 attendances in world football to compare how the Magpies stack up.
1. 20. Borussia-Park - Borussia Monchengladbach (50,823)
2. 19. Benito Villamarin - Real Betis (51,218)
3. 18. St James' Park - Newcastle United (52,134)
4. 17. Johan Cruyff Arena - Ajax (53,394