Newcastle stadium plans ‘in limbo’ – Eddie Howe

St James’s was once the country’s second-largest club stadium, behind Old Trafford, but Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, West Ham United, Arsenal, Manchester City and Everton have all since leapfrogged Newcastle’s 52,335-seat stadium in terms of capacity.

At the time, a significant revenue gap had emerged between the established system and Newcastle, with Manchester United generating £87m more in matchday income and £219.3m more in commercial income in 2023-24.

Newcastle’s training ground has been modernized in recent years, including hydrotherapy and a plunge pool, a new canteen, a players’ lounge and larger dressing rooms – but it is still far from the best in the country.

Howe was keen to stress that “everyone has the ambition to achieve this.”

But the Newcastle boss said there had to be a “little bit of patience” with the club’s infrastructure plans to “make sure it’s the right solution for everyone”.

He added: “If there is extra time to make the right decisions so that the stadium project is right, which is right for Newcastle for the number of years the club has been there, then take the extra time.”

“It’s the same with the training ground. You need the right location and design. I’d rather it be done right rather than rushed.

“I know there’s a 99.9% chance I won’t see either of them in my position, but I’m still passionate about making sure that’s there for future generations at Newcastle, whether that’s fans or players.”