A survey conducted as part of Newcastle United’s feasibility study revealed 71% of fans wanted to stay at St James’ Park last year. Understandably so. Even Eddie Howe suggested it would be a ‘betrayal’ if the Magpies relocated.
No wonder Newcastle are continuing to explore the possibility of ‘transforming’ the stadium. Brad Miller, the club’s chief operating officer, even spoke on Wednesday night about how a redeveloped St James’ would look ‘amazing’ and earn ‘significantly more money’.
However, Miller also floated the idea of moving away – ‘not too far’ – and building a new ground, which has the potential to ‘earn more than twice as much in terms of revenue compared to a transformation of St James’, as well as adding ‘a lot more seats’. Interestingly, this was the option that the majority of those supporters present at a STACK fan event were in favour of when Miller conducted a straw poll.
It was hardly scientific, but the large show of hands indicated that a number of fans may be a little more open-minded than they were when the formal survey was carried out. That should not necessarily come as a huge surprise.
Not only when thousands of supporters are locked out of the stadium but, also, when Newcastle are ‘walking with a ball and chain around their ankle’ because of PSR restrictions in the words of football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
“You have got to run to stand still as far as Premier League competitiveness is concerned,” he told ChronicleLive. “A new stadium would tick an awful lot of boxes…if they want to be competitive and the owners are unable to put further money in for PSR purposes, there is no alternative.”
Let’s elaborate. In an era when TV deals are centrally negotiated and commercial partnerships are increasingly competitive, boosting match day income and non match day income is an obvious way for Newcastle to increase revenues, particularly when the demand is there. In truth, it is a necessity.
Only Manchester United had a bigger stadium when St James’ was last expanded. However, Spurs, West Ham, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City have all since leapfrogged the Magpies in terms of capacity in the years since and that gap is only going to get bigger.
Everton will move into a bigger home next season. Manchester City will soon be able to accommodate more than 61,000 fans at the Etihad. Manchester United and Arsenal are looking into the possibility of potentially increasing capacity to 100,000 seats and 80,000 seats respectively. That leaves Newcastle with little choice in Maguire’s eyes.
“If Newcastle want to be competitive, they have got to look at revenue streams,” he said. “The romance might not be there, initially, with a new stadium, but it’s the fans that create the atmosphere – not the stadium.”
Newcastle, for context, generated £37.9m in match day income in 2022-23; Spurs, who have the second biggest stadium in the Premier League, brought in £117.6m in match receipts in the same period. That is before even mentioning the huge commercial gains Spurs have made through the stadium.
Spurs recently signed a licence with Haringey Council to host 30 non-football events every year and Beyoncé’s five-night run at the stadium was the highest-grossing concert ever staged by a female artist at the time. The ground is the official home of the NFL in the UK and plays host to the world’s first F1 branded electric karting experience. An 180-room hotel is set to be built on site to support the club’s conference and events business.
However, fans have still felt the pinch. The most affordable season ticket at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is an eye-watering £856. In contrast, today, there are still some Newcastle fans on 10-year plans dating back to the Ashley era who are paying nearly half that – £430 – for an adult season ticket.
There has been a blended average price rise of 3.3% across St James’ this season and those prices will inevitably go up further, whether Newcastle redevelop St James’ or move elsewhere, and supporters are braced. Charlotte Robson, who is among the thousands of fans who have been unable to get a season ticket, admitted ‘this is not a scenario where everyone’s going to be happy’ one way or the other.
“It’s too emotional for so many people and the logistics of it are so difficult,” the True Faith podcast host previously explained to ChronicleLive. “I totally understand there has to be a financial balance here so the club can continue to be profitable so that we stay in those PSR margins, but it’s s— that we have to think about things in that way.”
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-told-emotional-stadium-30420247
