The price of success at Newcastle United may well bring ‘unthinkable’ consequences for supporters. If the Magpies manage to match the success of the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, it may force the club’s owners into making what may be the toughest decision of their reign - whether or not to move out of St James’ Park.
With the demand for tickets soaring after the takeover of the club led by the Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports and Media, the debate has begun regarding the future of St James’ Park. More than 40,000 members queued online in hope of getting their hands on a season ticket for the forthcoming campaign.
Many were left disappointed with only 1,000 tickets available which then resulted in thousands of people snapping up membership packs before more than 40,000 tickets were sold for the club’s two home pre-season friendlies against Atalanta and Athletic Bilbao later this month. The demand has left the owners in no doubt about the backing they have from supporters.
LISTEN - THE EVERYTHING IS BLACK AND WHITE PODCAST
Yet the demand has also forced the issue of the stadium’s capacity to the forefront. There are many questions to ask - namely will the owners decide to stay at St James’ Park and try to expand the stadium or will they look to relocate. Another point for consideration is whether the demand for tickets will be sustained and without constant success would moving from the club’s home of 130 years really be justified.
In the latest episode of the Let’s Talk About mini-series via The Everything is Black and White Podcast, Andrew Musgrove and John Gibson discuss the ground and what may happen. Gibbo believes that should Newcastle follow along the same path as Liverpool or Manchester City in terms of honours, the debate on the future of St James’ Park may be cleared up quickly.
"It's inevitable that if the current owners produced the sustained success we expect them to produce and they wish to produce, and I'm talking about sustained success not, you know, the Entertainers. That period, did it last the whole of the nineties? Maybe it didn't, maybe it just lasted the first half of the nineties but if you take when Newcastle were finishing second top successive years, if you take the fact they played in the 98 and 99 cup finals and you look at Bobby Robson - you could say there was a reasonable amount of sustained success.
"But it only applies if these owners stick around, which we have no reason to think they won't. They are in it for the long haul and so if they stick around and produce the sort of success that results in Newcastle becoming Manchester City or Liverpool, then yes, they could well have to move the ground.
"It may well be that if Newcastle are in a new era now that is going to last indefinitely, an era of sustained success then we may have to think of the unthinkable, which is having a new ground built to a size that is proportionate [to the demand.]."
In an interview with The Athletic back in February, Mehrdad Ghodoussi said moving from St James' Park would be like 'tearing your soul out' and vowed to 'definitely' look at how they could stay and expand the ground. Yet the reality is the demand outstrips the expansion opportunities.
With listed buildings on side and building work ongoing behind the Gallowgate, Newcastle's bosses are limited to how they can expand the stadium. The stadium is a towering structure which is a landmark of the city - something Ghodoussi referenced in his interview with the Athletic.
It's that sight of the stadium and the history that goes with the ground that leads many to believe that staying is the only option even if expanding it would be a struggle.
"It's such a wonderful sight," Gibbo added, "Bang in the centre of the town, the cathedral on the hill and it really is. It dominates the skyline and the city of Newcastle, and the heart says, 'please let Newcastle stay where they are.'
"The difficulty with that is that we're very limited now on what we could do with the ground in terms of expansion because the Leazes Terrace is a listed building on one side of the ground, Strawberry Place, the land was sold by Ashley, so you're limited what you can do there. It is now an engineering assessment in terms of whether you can expand the current ground.
"It's in engineering assessment, not a job for the architects. The architects can draw pretty pictures but that is not the bottom line, and it's probably 10 thousand is as much as Newcastle could increase bearing in mind the Leazes Terrace and bearing in mind the restrictions. So you're building as much upwards as you are outwards, and probably 10,000 is about as big as you could get up to 62,000 on the current site."
The want for tickets marks quite the contrast from the final years under Mike Ashley when attendances fell so sharply that 10,000 season tickets were given away at the beginning of 2020. A waiting list for season tickets now seems inevitable as the demand hits heights not seen since the days of The Entertainers in the mid-90s.
Sir John Hall was the owner back then, and Gibbo believes the approach taken by the then Newcastle owner - with whom he worked closely as part of the Magpie Group - is a lesson to be taken on board by the current day owners. "It's amazing, isn't it? Because at this time last season, one year ago, Newcastle couldn't fill the 52,000 crowd because Mike Ashley was the owner and Steve Bruce was the manager.
"We couldn't fill the ground. Now, less than 12 months later, we're talking about 'do we need it almost twice the size it is because people are so interested. The secret is that to rebuild St. James' Park somewhere else you've got to have sustained success to fill the ground.
"I remember when Sir John Hall produced the Entertainers and started to make St. James' Park into the 52,000 capacity it is now, he said, with this, the difficult balancing act was that you were better having a small list of people waiting for season tickets rather than have a lot of empty seats, which looks bad on match days and looks as if there's somehow a whiff of failure around the club.
"So you want the ground to be full and throbbing but you don't want to be locking out thousands upon thousands of people who deserve to be in and also provide money for the club."
You can listen to the full episode of Let's Talk About St James' Park by clicking here . This will take you through to your podcast provider.
READ MORE
Eddie Howe shows his ruthlessness as he sets about the transfer window
Five Newcastle United players Eddie Howe has already decided must go, and five who could follow
Newcastle's Moussa Diaby refusal makes even more sense as club's transfer wish and profile clear
Martin Tyler exclusive interview as he talks Eddie Howe and Newcastle United
