Iconic 131-year-old Premier League stadium could be ABANDONED as club consider building huge new ground
NEWCASTLE’S iconic St. James Park stadium could be under threat, depending on the results of a fan study.
Toon chiefs are looking at ways to capitalise on the massive boom in ticket demand the club has experienced.
The club’s newfound on pitch success since its Saudi takeover has seen demand for tickets soar, resulting in club chiefs drawing up plans to expand the ground from 52,000 to 65,000.
An alternative solution to this would be the building of a brand new stadium.
And the club have now put it to fans to tell them what they want in a new feasibility study.
On Monday the club announced they had appointed strategy management firm CAA ICON to administer the fan survey.
A Newcastle statement said: “The survey will ask a number of hypothetical questions which are not indicative of any specific development aims at this stage, but are designed to ensure comprehensive feedback is captured from a range of supporters.
“The club thanks supporters in advance for taking the time to complete this survey and providing input into any recommendations that may be made.”
One of the questions on the survey asks: “If you had a choice, would you prefer a renovated St. James’ Park or a brand-new Newcastle stadium?”
Should the latter be concluded as the preferred choice, it would see the Magpies home of 131 years pushed to the side.
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However, there has been some resistance to the idea in discussions among fans online.
Toon fan page Magpie 24/7 said: “A new stadium under these owners and with SELA’s help and expertise could be something magical and stunning .”
“HOWEVER, St. James Park is steeped in history and is a magical, unique and sacred place and a feather in the cap for Newcastle United in my opinion.
“Even if they could build a new stadium, say where the Arena is for example, do we really want an Emirates or Etihad type stadium or SJP with the noise and passion?
“Football is not all about spreadsheets, money and fancy bells and whistles! Ask City fans if they miss Maine Road, if Arsenal fans miss Highbury? Traditions matter.”
Another fan joked they would tie themselves to the goalposts if the club tried to bulldoze St. James’ Park.
Some images of other stadiums with potential features for the new or expanded stadium were included in the survey as well.
The proposals included new sky boxes, lounge areas, tunnel view seats and even featured one image of an NFL game in a similar fashion to Tottenham’s ground.
St. James’ Park was named as one of the ten stadiums that will be used when Great Britain and Ireland host the 2028 Euros.
Newcastle have been at odds with the local council over stadium expansion plans a number of times throughout its history.