Newcastle United have drawn up and submitted extensive plans to improve the club's Darsley Park training ground in Benton, ChronicleLive understands. A planning consultation has been sent to the council with the Magpies aiming to bring their current base up to same standards as other Premier League clubs.
The Darsley Park facility was developed in 2002 but has been plagued by a lack of investment in recent years, much to the frustration of previous managers and Newcastle supporters. In the recently submitted access and design statements, the club admit the current setup is not up to scratch.
"Modern professional football demands the provision of bespoke dedicated training facilities to enable teams to compete successfully at the highest levels nationally and internationally. The current training facilities available to NUFC fall significantly below the Premier League and perhaps even Championship standards," the document submission states.
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The plans seen by ChronicleLive show exactly how the Benton premises would be changed in a huge and much-needed revamp. New changing rooms, wet areas and ancillary facilities would all be built as part of a new single storey extension. Revamped physio and sports science rooms would be located near the offices of coaching staff.
The aim is to also build a new presentation room and players' lounge that will be situated directly next door to the players and coaching areas. The dining room would be extended 'to be able to deal with the number of players and staff working and dining on the daily basis on site'.
A state-of-the-art kitchen would be installed 'so that fresh and nutritious meals are served'. The outdoor areas of the training ground would be upgraded, with 'hard and soft landscapes' to be added outside. The front entrance will receive a makeover with the addition of a new glazed door.
A significant weakness of Newcastle's training base in recent years has been the recovery and rehab facilities on offer. Even to this day the pictures of post-training ice baths in wheelie bins and paddling pools do the rounds on social media.
However, Newcastle are now looking to add brand new hydro pools to the training base. In the plans, Manchester City and Chelsea's pools have been used as the examples the Magpies want to copy. The HydroWorx 2000 is the model named in the application and is said to be a 'quantum leap forward in aquatic therapy and fitness'
Newcastle have had to explain in detail how the new facilities will be used, the amount of space the extension will take up, any layout changes and how transportation and access will be affected. ChronicleLive understands the plans should be given the green light.
Co-owner Amanda Staveley has long-term plans to make Newcastle United a footballing powerhouse at home and in Europe and saw the need for an improved training facility from her very first day. It is likely in years to come the training base could be moved to an entirely new location. However, these changes would be welcomed in the short-term.
"We all want the best for the club and that is to grow and help us develop," Staveley said earlier this year. "What that means is a new training ground and academy. We have also had other facilities go up at other football clubs so we have looked at other clubs' facilities quite enviously."
The aim of the new facilities will be to help Newcastle not only attract the best talent to the North East, but to offer the current crop of players the best facilities possible to achieve success on Tyneside. The club will have their fingers crossed that the new plans are given the go ahead.
A United source said: "The plan is still to move to a new training ground moving forward."
