Eddie Howe says it would feel like a ‘betrayal’ for Newcastle to leave St James’ Park – but that he could be ‘swayed’ if the club decides to build a new stadium.
The Magpies confirmed this week that a decision on whether to redevelop their current home or build elsewhere would be delayed until early next year, and that all options remain on the table.
Howe said: ‘I think my natural instincts was always to stay at St James’ Park. It’s an incredible place to play football. It’s our home, so to think about moving somewhere else feels a little bit of a betrayal to somewhere that has served us so well.
‘But we are well aware that, as a football club, we need to increase our revenue. People with more brain cells will make the decision for the benefit of the long-term future of the club, and that’s always the most important thing. So I could be swayed, but just my natural instinct is to want to stay.
‘But then, I think you have to look at what you could gain. You can’t just look at what you’re going to lose. What you could gain could be equally as special, and the club has to move forward. It can’t be stuck in the past or be romantic to a degree. There are finances to think of and that will affect the long-term success of the club, so that is why it’s not a clearcut decision.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has called St James’ Park ‘an incredible place to play football’
Newcastle United’s owners want to either redevelop St James’ Park or move to a new site
The current capacity of St James’ Park is 52,305 – the seventh highest in the Premier League
Chief operating officer Brad Miller has said that the club are prepared to commit significant investment to the project
‘It’s a massive decision because it will affect the next however many years of the football club. It’s a decision where you won’t be able to please everybody. There will be different opinions. It’s truly only the people assessing the pros and cons that can really make the decision.’
But Howe did not hide his love for the current home.
‘It is unique,’ he said. ‘I always said when I was an opposing manager coming to St James’ Park, the first time I managed there, I was like, “Wow, I’ve never managed in a stadium quite like that”. I’m not lying here, this is me and my staff talking and we’d been to every ground in the Premier League near enough by that point. St James’ Park was one of the last we’d been to and yeah, it blew us away.
‘It’s not necessarily the biggest, there’s just something about the look of the stadium and the feel of it. When you’re there it’s just a great place to play football. The positioning where it is in the city is totally unique. I’d hate to see the stadium move from its current position, because it dominates the eye-line of the whole city and you can see it from miles around. That’s really inspiring.
‘Wherever you are in Newcastle, you get a glimpse and, personally, I always think to the next game when we are going to be there. When you’re in it, I don’t know how it creates it, but the atmosphere, the look of the stadium, is a beautiful thing. I love being there, I love experiencing games there and I love winning there. That’s the best bit.’