‘I’ve got question marks’: Keith Wyness is ‘very angry’ at Newcastle’s £100m+ stadium twist
There are still questions that need answering around Newcastle’s redevelopment project following latest developments.
That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, after it emerged that Newcastle could build a new 68,000 capacity stadium.
A decision will be made by the end of 2026 on whether Newcastle’s Saudi ownership will fund a new stadium or whether they will rebuild St James’ Park.
The plans could also benefit Newcastle city centre, with the aim of creating more jobs and attracting investment to the North East.
Keith Wyness ‘fully supportive’ of Newcastle project
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – has not got a problem with government money being used on redeveloping the city centre.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness states it would be “fantastic” for more money to be put into the Newcastle area.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Well, let’s be clear, the sort of stadium funding that should be available for Newcastle would be around the surrounding area, not for the stadium itself.
“It seems there is only one club that has managed to get the magic, to get some help to get their stadium, and that’s Wrexham. And I’m still very angry about the fact that they’ve been able to obtain the £18million pound government loan where part of that has gone to their stadium. I do think that’s wrong.
“I completely agree that Man United and Newcastle should be getting help for development around the stadium, but there are a lot of question marks still around this whole Newcastle development. We were being led to believe just a couple of months ago that, despite the delay in all the announcements, it was going to be a regeneration, a refit of St James’s Park.
“Now we’re being told that there could well be a new stadium on Leazes Park, but also a massive redevelopment of part of the town centre. Now that is a major, major project and certainly there could well be government money for that, and I’ve got no problem with that.
“I think it’s fantastic to see money going into Newcastle and cities in the north and I would be fully supportive of that sort of thing happening if it was a regeneration of Newcastle City Centre. Now obviously, we haven’t seen the plans, and we still don’t know whether they’re going to go for the bigger project or whether they’re going to stay with the refit of St James’s Park.”
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Eddie Howe tries to find Nick Woltemade solution
It has been revealed that Nick Woltemade may push to leave Newcastle after just one season at the club.
Woltemade could return to Germany, where the 24-year-old may be able to rejoin his former club Stuttgart or Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
The German striker has scored just one goal in his last 15 appearances in all competitions, with Eddie Howe recently converting him into an attacking midfielder amid his struggles up-front.