Newcastle United hope to have answers regarding St James' Park expansion next month

Newcastle United recently held the first Fan Advisory Board meeting which is part of the new Premier League initiative to have fans more involved with their clubs.

The first point discussed at the meeting, as per the minutes published by the club via the official site today, was the proposed expansion of St James' Park or potential relocation.

Newcastle hired top firm CAA Icon, the team behind Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium, to do a feasibility study on how to expand St James' Park and to look at alternatives. This was back in November and many rumours have surfaced ever since about what could be done.

CEO Darren Eales provided an update on the current state of play around St James' Park during the meeting.

Newcastle United

Darren Eales confirmed the club's priority is to remain at St James' Park

“The priority is to stay at St. James’ Park, but we know there are challenges around development. So we have employed experts to assess what is feasible from an engineering and financial perspective.”

Eales was then asked when they expect to learn the outcome of the study which he revealed to be expected in April 2024. That doesn't mean that they will make the findings public immediately, but it does give fans an indication as to the speed at which this is moving.

Newcastle United Supporters Trust chairman, Paul Karter then asked if they had a figure in mind for the new capacity and whether there would be a point where they felt the capacity wouldn't be enough to warrant an expansion but swing the club towards relocation. However, Eales wouldn't be drawn on an answer instead opting to say that the results of the study would clear that up.

Newcastle's current priority is sourcing a training kit partner

Other topics covered at the meeting were the FAB bringing to the club's attention the issues and concerns around the new ticketing system and the ID checks system, including the anxiety fans now face when trying to transfer a ticket at short notice.

Peter Silverstone also gave more details on the likes of commercial partnerships and how important they are to the growth of the club, stating that finding a training kit sponsor is a high priority while stating that if the club were to look at stadium naming rights, the FAB and the wider fanbase would be consulted before any decision was taken.

Things are definitely moving in the right direction despite a few missteps, particularly around the ticketing, but the regular discussions between the club and the Fan Advisory Board should help to keep things rolling in the right direction, and the transparency that comes from them releasing the minutes from the meetings is a welcome bonus.