Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
Newcastle United's takeover by PIF revived the fortunes of the club along with the managerial skill of Eddie Howe in the dugout. The Magpies were seemingly on a downward spiral under Mike Ashley's ownership with Steve Bruce at the helm of the team. However, once PIF arrived and replaced Bruce with Howe, the club soared out of the Premier League relegation zone and into the respectability of mid-table. The financial might of PIF allowed Newcastle to spend in the January transfer window, saving the Magpies from the Championship.
With Howe entrenched on the sideline and the expectation of further high-priced signings, a look at the football tips today back Newcastle at 12/5 to finish in the top six of the table. It would be a dramatic rise for the Magpies, but not completely out of the question. However, there is still work ahead of Newcastle to bridge the gap to the established top six standings, even with their new owners in place. Financial fair play will restrict their ability to pump funds into Newcastle's accounts, which will force the club to look elsewhere to boost their revenue.
The obvious solution is to expand the 52,000-capacity St James' Park. The Magpies have no issue selling out their stadium in the Premier League, and there is a growing demand for season tickets beyond the 30,000 limit. There is scope at least to push the size of the stadium to 62,000, elevating the capacity by 10,000. The last time Newcastle expanded their stadium was 2000, this involved adding additional tiers to the Milburn Stand and Leazes End. The move was a resounding success and has allowed the club to boast one of the largest stadiums in England.
The prospect of a 62,000-capacity stadium would bring the Magpies level with Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham in their attendances. As a hub of tourism in the North East, along with the passion of their supporters, Newcastle should have no fear about raising their capacity. The only issue would be how. St James' Park backs onto residential areas, which limits their ability to expand the East and Gallowgate Stands. The club's owners have raised the idea of increasing the capacity, but they would have to work in tandem with Newcastle City Council and potential residents to make the dream a possibility.
The other option is to build a new stadium elsewhere in the region. The Reuben brothers are part of the Newcastle consortium and already own land near Newcastle Racecourse, which they also own. However, it would take the club away from the heart of the city centre and from vital transport links. Newcastle's owners would not only have to weigh up the significant cost of building a new stadium, which as Tottenham has shown can stretch to as far as £1bn, but also the possibility of having to extend and improve transport links to a new region of the city. That would be easier said than done.
Although the club seemingly have unlimited resources at their disposal, it may find the journey to the top will be more expensive than anticipated.
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