Head coach Eddie Howe says Newcastle United‘s stadium and training ground plans are “in limbo” and there is a “99.9% chance” he will not be in charge to see them realised.
Although Newcastle continue to explore the possibility of expanding St James’, or building a new stadium elsewhere in the city, CEO David Hopkinson has admitted the club will play at the ground in its current guise for “many years”.
Work is ongoing to effectively double the footprint of their existing training ground at Benton. Still, the hierarchy recognise a new state-of-the-art base will ultimately be needed elsewhere because of the site’s limitations.
Howe has his hands full with on-the-field matters, as he looks to take 11th-placed Newcastle up the table, but infrastructure was at the forefront of his mind when he was asked how the club can move forward in 2026 and beyond.
“Fundamentally, looking at the club with a broader view, the training ground, the stadium, that part of the club is in limbo at the moment,” he said.
“In terms of which direction the club is going to take, that would be a big step forward to get clarity on that and to take everything into the future in a really positive way.
“It would have a game-changing effect on everything. I am also talking about the academy in that and the brilliant work that goes on down there.
“If we can move everything forward in terms of facilities – not that I believe facilities are the be all and end all – but they are a great way of setting standards higher and showing your ambition in a really clear and strong way.”
St James’ was once the second-biggest club stadium in the country, behind Old Trafford, but Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, West Ham United, Arsenal, Manchester City and Everton have all since leapfrogged Newcastle‘s 52,335-seater ground in terms of capacity.
In that time, a huge revenue gap has opened up between the established order and Newcastle, with Manchester United generating £87m more in match-day income and £219.3m more in commercial income in 2023-24.
Newcastle‘s training ground has been modernised in recent years, including hydrotherapy and plunge pools, a new canteen, a players’ lounge and bigger dressing rooms – but it remains some way off the best in the country.
Howe was keen to stress that the “ambition is there from everyone to make that happen”.
But the Newcastle head coach said there needs to be a “bit of patience” with the club’s infrastructure plans to “make sure it’s the right solution for everybody”.
He added: “If there is extra time taken to make the right decisions so the stadium project is correct, and it’s the right one for Newcastle for how ever many years the club are there, then take the extra time.
“It’s the same with the training ground. You need the right site and designs. I would rather it was correct than rushed.
“I know that there’s a 99.9% chance that I’m not going to see either in my position, but I’m still passionate about making sure it’s there for the future generations of Newcastle, whether that’s supporters or players.”
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