The Mags Are Alright Too - A Young Supporter's Perspective on the Stadium Debate

And talking of young supporters, here's proof that it's not only curmudgeonly old blokes who want to stay at St James', as we stretch the age range of contributors this week to 65 years!

Hello, I am Lucas Middleton and I am 15 years old. In this article, I will be talking about St. James Park and the possibility of moving stadium from a younger perspective.

As we all know, St James Park has been the home of Newcastle United since the club was officially created in 1892. Over the years it has brought so many memories for fans from many different generations including me with incredible matches such as the 4-1 battering of French giants Paris Saint-Germain and the 2-1 win against Southampton with a brace from the Geordie Sean Longstaff to take us to Wembley in 2023. However, due to Newcastle United’s struggles with PSR a new stadium has been a huge talking point as it could help the financial solution massively.

Unfortunately, expanding the current stadium could cost up to £1 billion which would be just below the price Tottenham Hotspur paid for their 62,000-seater stadium which is the largest club stadium in the capital.

Why change could be necessary

When the opportunity comes for PIF to make the final decision on whether to stay at St James Park or move elsewhere it will likely be down to the club’s financial position at the time which could change in the next transfer window with there being rumoured interest for key players such as Bruno Guimarães and Alexander Isak.

The likelihood is that if we don't get in the Champions League, then these top-class players could look for moves away. Although, if our improvements in performances are to be sustained, it’s likely that the club will need reinforcements in some key positions with the club already looking at possible additions to the squad in the summer after three substandard windows in 2024 and 2025. As hinted at many times by Newcastle boss Eddie Howe and as we've seen, it’s likely that further outgoings will have to happen to allow signings which demonstrates the financial issue Newcastle are currently facing.

The downside of change

As a younger fan, I have never witnessed the club win a major trophy in my lifetime but like many others, I believe the cathedral on the hill is the key to any success which may come Newcastle’s way due to the menacing atmosphere and how tough it is to play there as an away side. Due to Newcastle’s terrible away form across the last 18 months, the stadium has become even more important and in the 23/24 season, the club won 40 points at home which was the 4th best of any side. This points tally was also double the 20 points won on the road which was a huge drop off from the season prior in which the club ranked 3rd for points away from home with 32, only behind that season’s top 2 Manchester City and Arsenal.

The alternative option

Despite having a different financial position to Newcastle, we have seen a club as huge as Chelsea achieve so much glory while having a stadium with only 40,000 capacity. While Chelsea also face financial struggles due to their relentless action in the transfer market under Todd Boehly, the West London side have benefited massively from selling academy products with Cobham being known as one of the best academies in the world.

Unfortunately, the youth academy has been neglected at Newcastle for a long time but thankfully the club is starting to see some top class academy products advance through the ranks. Most notably with youngsters Elliot Anderson and Lewis Miley both breaking into the first team and making big statements with both already capped for the England u21s.

Elliot Anderson has already been an example of the financial struggles the club faces with him being sold to Nottingham Forest in the summer to avoid a points deduction. If the club opt to stay put at St James Park then the talents coming through the ranks at Newcastle could have to be sold to keep Newcastle on terms with the leagues financial rules.Despite this, the hope is that some of our academy talents can merge into first team players so less signings have to be made for the squad.

My final opinion

One reason some younger Newcastle fans may be in favour of leaving St James Park and moving to a larger stadium would be the fact they could attend more matches. However, I don’t think a new stadium would generate the buzz that St James Park does. Since 2016, we have already seen many negatives come from new grounds such as the London Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. These negatives are those such as a dry atmosphere regularly and sometimes even empty seats around the ground.

If Newcastle were to move to a new stadium these two effects could certainly come into place which would be fatal for a side like Newcastle along with the club captain Bruno Guimarães, who undoubtedly thrives off the atmosphere which St James Park seems to have so often. With all things considered, there’s no doubt in my mind that Newcastle should stay St James Park for as long as possible.

Thanks for reading, Lucas.

Lucas Middleton

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