Newcastle United hierarchy have left the strongest indication so far that a departure from history St James’s Park could be imminent following the revelation that a new stadium could ‘double’ revenues.

The club’s long-running feasibility and forensic study, now over a year old, is in its second and final part after identifying the risks of staying at St James’ Park.

Newcastle insist no final decision has been made but and understands there are plans to talk to key stakeholders, including transport operators Nexus and the city council, in the New Year before revealing the final options being considered.

But in a revealing speech at an event at Newcastle’s STACK fanzone, chief operating officer (COO) Brad Miller said the club was “seriously” considering moving to another site not far from St James’ Park. That possibility, he revealed, would come with the option to add “many more seats.”

It’s the most direct acknowledgment yet that a new stadium is on the agenda, and also reflects the narrative surrounding the project. While Newcastle’s official poll, commissioned by the CAA last year, saw 71 per cent of fans polled wanting to stay, it feels like momentum is now behind the move – if the circumstances are right.

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There are several reasons for this. The first, which the club alluded to on Wednesday night, is that with the Profitability and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) so stifling, they need to make the stadium “sweat”.

Whatever they do with St James’ Park, the revenue opportunity will never match a custom-built facility that would have an extensive corporate offering, along with facilities to host concerts, NFL games and high-profile boxing events.

If PSR or its successor – “team cost control” – exists in their current form or not, Newcastle’s need for higher revenue to rival more established clubs will remain. Frustrated fans now understand this better than ever, which has changed the face of the stadium debate.

Another compelling factor is the large number of supporters who are currently locked out of games.

Newcastle implemented a membership scheme two years ago, where fans pay an annual fee to gain access to a ballot for the few thousand tickets that go on general sale. But the chances of getting one are not high and that has increased the feeling among supporters that more seats are needed.

The prospect of a new generation of younger fans being kept away from St James’ Park has also been raised.

and also understands that stadium specialists who were contacted by the club in the first part of the feasibility study were uniform in their view that ‘seating’ extra seats or piecemeal additions to St James’ Park would be expensive and far from ideal from an aesthetic point of view. .

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It is understood that an interim solution of a small increase in capacity or patchwork of the stadium – one of the options initially considered – has been ruled out in favor of far more ambitious options.

Here are the thoughts of Alex Thomas, director at HKS, the architects who designed the £4.8bn SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, on Newcastle’s dilemma.

“There’s a big difference between taking existing land with all its constraints and limitations and building something new,” he said.

“If we were going to build a new stadium for Newcastle, we would do it so differently to the way the existing structure is. You will always be compromised if you try to bolt onto the back of another structure that has already been bolted on three times.

“It’s often more expensive per square foot because you’re trying to do surgery on this complicated, compromised thing, whereas a new build, per square foot, is much, much better value for money.

“You objectively end up with a better project, but that’s without getting into the emotions of it, having the core circle where it’s been for centuries and the connections that the supporters have.

“A lot of clubs have been through this emotional journey and it’s difficult. But when the new place turns out to be really great, people think differently – their new chair might be amazing, there’s new technology there, there’s possibilities.

“It should be a night and day difference at Newcastle, but you could build some of the club’s DNA from the old ground. There are ways to make the values ​​of the club and the iconic nature of St James’ Park and its architecture part of the experience of a new ground.”

That doesn’t feel a million miles away from what Miller said in front of supporters on Wednesday night as he outlined the two options to double against Newcastle.

“The first choice is, if we stayed at St James’, we already have the 52,000 seats,” he said.

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“It comes with a lot more money if we convert it and it will look amazing. This is option one.

“The second option is if we were to move away and not too far because we’re not going to stretch the elastic band to the breaking point.

“The second option we are looking at seriously as it has the potential to earn more than twice as much in terms of revenue compared to a conversion of St James’ Park. And more places, many more places potentially.”

The devil will be in the details, you guess. A new build that looks fantastic and is located in the center of the city might in time convince even those who think St James’ Park is still the best option.

If Plan B is hosted outside the city center – Newcastle’s current racing venue in Gosforth has been mentioned as a possible option – the club may not get the majority. The city center is what makes Newcastle Stadium unique.

It certainly feels like the messaging around the issue has changed lately. Insiders also pointed out to and that the option of a move is on the table, but the message seems to have changed since Miller, who joined in the summer, joined the club to lead the project.

“We took the opportunity to look at ‘what will a new stadium look like?'” he said Wednesday.

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“It’s not comparing apples to apples, they’re not like for like. Comparing apples to pears.

“The brilliant thing about St James’ is that it’s an iconic venue, the atmosphere and the competitive edge it gives the team on the pitch – and it already has 52,000 seats.

“A new stadium doesn’t have that and we would have to pay for all those seats again. But a new stadium has the potential to earn much more, both on match days and non-match days.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So everything we do, invest and transform St James’ as we see it today where we are? Or do we take that bold move and consider moving?”

The club say they will consult with fans and supporter groups when they reveal the next steps of the project in early 2025.

“We want to make sure it’s a very robust process,” Miller says.

“So regardless of the outcome, I want to stand up in front of everyone throughout the process and say, ‘This is why it’s a logical decision.'”