Newcastle agree on 65,000 super stadium – Huge claims on Thursday afternoon

Newcastle’s 130+ year tenure at St James’ Park is set to come to an end, as breaking news on Thursday evening indicates the club intends to build a new 'super stadium.'

Boasting a capacity of 65,000, the proposed plans will see Newcastle move to Leazes Park, just a stone’s throw from where St James’ Park is now.

The decision, which is set to be a major boost to the local economy, has the backing of the PIF Chairman and was seen as the better alternative to other plans surrounding an expansion of the current ground.

A new chapter in the club’s history

In a big exclusive coming courtesy of Craig Hope at The Mail, Newcastle United intend to leave the iconic St James’ Park and build a new ground on Leazes Park, just north of the current stadium.

After crucial talks took place last month, the plans now have the full backing of senior officials like PIF Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

Hopes writes that “Chief operating officer Brad Miller and chief executive Darren Eales recommended then that a new build was the best way to maximise revenue and achieve the club’s goals, currently limited by the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.”

What are the next steps?

Before the proposed plans can officially move forward, there’s a lot of red tape the club will have to get through.

“The club are preparing to take their intentions to the Government for sign-off on a project that will create hundreds of jobs and pour money into the local economy.”

“The next step is more talks with local authorities and Government before sign-off from Saudi’s Public Investment Fund, the club’s majority owners.”

“Once they know the project is feasible, the decision will be finalised and communicated to supporters. The exact cost of the build and nature of the funding is still unknown.”

Thankfully however, decision makers are likely to approve the plans, similar to those of the Old Trafford re-development plans from earlier this week, in what will be a significant boost to the North East economy.

Once approved and construction is under way, the club will continue to play at St James’ Park, and there should be no overlap where Eddie Howe’s side will have to seek an alternative venue to play their games.

What can we expect to see?

It was hinted last month that the club’s potential new stadium would take inspiration from the likes of Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, and have a circular, bubble-wrap style exterior.

The 25% boost in capacity, from 52,000 to 65,000, will go a long way to satisfying increased demand for tickets, and further position Newcastle amongst Europe’s elite in terms of attendance and stadium visuals.

Perhaps the most important thing we can expect to see from a new stadium is just how much it financially benefits the club.

A clear sign of the PIF’s long-term vision and commitment to Newcastle (and part of the behind-the-scenes ‘Project 2030’) a new stadium will positively boost Newcastle’s PSR situation significantly - likely being a multi-purpose venue similar to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is one of the best revenue drivers in all of Europe.