Newcastle United’s ‘very ambitious’ redevelopment plans get approval from top source
Newcastle United must build a new stadium if they are to become one of the world’s top clubs in the future.
That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, amid Newcastle deliberating whether to build a new stadium or redevelop St James’ Park.
Chief executive David Hopkinson has stated he wants Newcastle to become “the top club in the world by 2030.”
Newcastle have been restricted financially under profit and sustainability rules in the Premier League, but the ownership have pledged to fund any stadium project.
💰 Newcastle Finance Update 💰
Inside the PIF transfer budget, player wages, commercial growth, PSR updates and boardroom developments at St James’ Park.
VISIT THE NEWCASTLE FINANCE HUBNewcastle face ‘exciting’ but ‘complex’ stadium 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 – states that government money could be used for work outside the stadium, or to regenerate Newcastle’s city centre.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks the fanbase “deserve” a new stadium.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “David Hopkinson, the CEO, as we know, has been very outspoken about trying to put Newcastle in the top five clubs in the world consistently.
“You’re going to need this new stadium to even start to make inroads into that very ambitious dream. If it looked, I’d be fully backing a very thoughtful, considerate redevelopment of the whole city centre tied to a new stadium.
“Newcastle deserve it, the fans deserve it, and I’d hope it was planned properly, and I’m sure they’d have the right experts to do it. But I think it’s a very exciting thing if it happens, and I think they should go for that if they can do but, obviously, look, I’ve been there before. Complex projects, complex funding, all sorts of planning approvals and different things to be done.
“But in terms of government money, yes, if there is a redevelopment around the stadium, that’s where your roads and different areas can be done, and government money should be adopted, and it should go into cities in the north like Newcastle, I’d be a big fan of that.”
Newcastle’s stance on sacking Eddie Howe
Football Insider was exclusively told that Newcastle chiefs have concerns around Eddie Howe, but they are not planning to sack the 48-year-old in the immediate future.
Howe is coming under increasing pressure on Tyneside to turn around results, with Newcastle on a run of one win in seven Premier League games.
The Toon sit 13th in the table, 15 points off the top four and their ambitions of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Newcastle Insider Access
Get the full story from St James’ Park and Darsley Park with our dedicated expert hubs:
Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Tyneside.