Thirteen thousand additional seats might be erected if the club can raise the Gallowgate and East Stands to the height of the Leazes and Milburn stands.
Newcastle United has begun planning to increase the capacity of St James’ Park and has already undertaken a feasibility study on how to develop the Gallowgate End and East Stand. The club is now calculating what kind of growth is possible if both stands are extended, however it is expected that the total capacity might be approximately 65,000.
Newcastle United have the seventh-largest stadium in the Premier League, seating 52,000 people, but have dropped behind West Ham United, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur in recent years. If the capacity can be extended to 65,000, which is not guaranteed at this time, they will be the second-largest stadium in the world behind Manchester United’s Old Trafford.
The project is in its early stages, and the club is waiting to hear from expert architects about what building work is feasible and how much it will cost. Nothing will be decided until those reports are finished.
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According to multiple sources, every alternative is being considered, but the most ideal is to make the East Stand and Gallowgate End the same size as the Leazes End and Milburn Stand, giving the stadium a bowl-shaped appearance.
The intended construction work is hindered by the fact that the East Stand sits directly behind listed structures, and there is no likelihood of being able to demolish Leazes Terrace or any of the Georgian terraced houses that people live in. Work is expected to begin on the East Stand first, however no timetable has been provided for when this may occur.
All ideas will be considered before the board decides on the best proposal, but there is a strong commitment to enhance capacity because demand for matchday tickets significantly outnumbers supply.
One of the alternatives being considered is raising the height of the East Stand with glass so that homeowners retain their right to natural light, which is required by zoning requirements. Newcastle purchased the land behind the Gallowgate End last year, giving them the option of adding another layer to that end of the stadium.
However, work on a new fan zone behind the stadium will begin in the coming weeks and is scheduled to open in the spring. The fan zone will remain in existence for at least three years, therefore the main focus of effort will be on what can be done in the short term to improve the capacity of the East Stand.
The mood inside St James’ Park was at its partisan peak during Wednesday night’s 4-1 Champions League victory against Paris St-Germain, but the board understands that a larger stadium would be critical moving ahead.
When asked if he would like to see construction work begin to boost capacity, manager Eddie Howe responded, “I’d love to see it expanded.” If it is possible, I am confident that the club will do it at some point.
“That’s very much the club’s philosophy. If we can push things forward and improve things for the supporters, for everybody, the club will do it. But it’s not simple, it’s not a simple process, but we would love to get more supporters inside the stadium.”
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