Work to transform Newcastle United’s ‘below Championship standard’ training ground begins - & here’s a sneak peak

Work appears to have started on Newcastle’s United soon-to-be transformed Benton training facility.

Pictures circulating on social media appear to show preparatory works taking place at the North Tyneside site.

In May, plans to upgrade Newcastle United’s Benton training base were submitted to North Tyneside Council.

And around a month on from those plans being put into action (see below):

So what’s new?

The main reception will be moved to the left-hand side of the building. Behind that, the kitchen will be extended from 27m2 to 60m2, while the servery and dining area goes from 127m2 to 225m2 and overlooks a new outdoor patio area.

Improved club media facilities will replace old treatment rooms with a purpose-built players lounge (133m2) replacing four small offices and a physio room.

An analyst room will link into a extended coaches office, while the manager’s office will face the training pitches - doubling in size from 24m2 to 48m2 - as part of an extension to the back of the building.

Current showers and baths will turn into a sports science room. The existing first-team changing room is poised to become the physio and treatment room, interconnected with a new doctor’s room.

The extension on the right-hand side of the building - next to the indoor training pitch - will include a purpose-built changing room, increasing in size from 62m2 to 92m2.

And perhaps the most eye-catching facility is the new hydrotherapy pool. Interestingly, in the plans drawn up, Manchester City and Chelsea’s pools have been used as examples Newcastle want to replicate.

In plans submitted by the club, the documentation reads: “Modern professional football demands the provision of bespoke dedicated training facilities to enable teams to compete successfully at the highest levels nationally and internationally.

“The current training facilities available to NUFC fall significantly below the Premier League and perhaps even Championship standards.

“As part of the continued efforts of NUFC to improve the facilities and environment for its players, and staff working on site, in the short term the club is looking to invest in redeveloping the current first team training ground by bringing it in line with other Premier League clubs and standards.”

Estimates as to how long the work will take have not been given, but what seems certain is that Newcastle’s return to pre-season training on Friday, July 1 will precede the completion of the work.