Newcastle United supporters will have to wait considerably longer for clarity on the club’s stadium future, with The Athletic’s Chris Waugh reporting that no firm update is expected until at least 2026.
In his latest mailbag, Waugh said that after initial promises of an “imminent” announcement in July 2024 and talk of a “decision phase” in early 2025, the timeline has shifted once again.
The club’s leadership is now adopting a more cautious approach as incoming chief executive David Hopkinson continues
his “listening and learning” process following the departure of Darren Eales as CEO of the club earlier this year.
While Brad Miller, Newcastle’s chief operating officer, has been overseeing blueprint explorations, Hopkinson is still being briefed on the two main options: building a new state-of-the-art stadium at Leazes Park or expanding St James’ Park.
According to Waugh, influential voices inside the club have always and still lean toward a purpose-built ‘super stadium’, which could generate significantly higher revenues in the future. However, an expanded St James’ Park remains under serious consideration due to financial viability and the ownership group’s desire for eventual returns on investment as quickly as possible.
“The persistent message has been that both possibilities are still live,” Waugh wrote. “For now, treat any ‘stadium update’ claims with caution. There may be some truth behind them but the soundings are that a firm commitment may be deferred until 2026.”
No matter what, the truth is that this delay represents yet another setback for supporters eager to see progress on addressing demand for tickets and the club’s long-term growth strategy, which never seems to fully develop into what PIF envisioned and told the Magpie faithful all the way back in 2021.
