PIF’s vision for Newcastle United when it helped purchase the club from Mike Ashley was simple: become number one.
Now four years since the takeover, we’ve reached the Champions League twice, won the Carabao Cup earlier in 2025, and developed some players into the very best not only in the Premier League, but in all of Europe.
But there’s still plenty of work to be done if we really want to be considered part of the footballing elite on par with the likes of the ‘Big Six’, Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG, and that’s more than just what we do on the pitch.
Unfortunately however, it looks like we’ve suffered a momentary setback in regards to a long term goal, but this will elicit a divided response from the fanbase….
Stadium plans pushed back again?
According to The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, plans to announce a new stadium – or expand St James’ Park – to call home look to have again been delayed.
It was expected that a decision would be communicated to fans in “early 2025” about the club’s stadium plans, with Leazes Park continually discussed as a likely destination.
However, it now looks like nothing will be announced until 2026 at the earliest, and no explicit reason has been given as to why the decision continues to be delayed.
There could still be some deliberation from the club’s executives on if a whole new stadium build is the right approach at this moment in time: the PIF would only be willing to cover half the projected cost, and Edwards adds that expanding and renovating St James’ Park is still not out of the question.
Training ground and sponsors still need to be sorted
Even though addressing the stadium’s future is perhaps the top priority for the club’s hierarchy, there’s still plenty more things to address to help boost revenue sources and help push towards our ‘elite’ image and status.
Earlier this month it was reported that a new training ground was still in the pipeline, with a site in Seaton Burn being eyed up as an ideal location. But it, like the stadium itself, may not be officially announced until 2026.
Edwards speculates that even if both respective announcements were to come in early 2026, the actual construction won’t be complete for at least another five years, and possibly even longer.
With St James’ Park pencilled to be a host venue for EURO2028, any capacity upgrades we can make in time for the tournament would be very much welcome to see.
Stopped reading at the according to Puke Edwards bit.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
Realise it’s not like putting up a garden shed, but surely this needs to be finalised ASAP and should have already been done, there’s 10s of thousands of fans who want to get into games and can’t, many of these were former season ticket holders who let their tickets go to get shot of the former owner, it’s very concerning the shear amount of tickets on secondary ticketing web sites, many fans have applied for every match through the membership scheme without any success this is not good enough, the club needs to be more transparent.
MorpethMag(Quote)
Transparent like the last owner?
The club will tell us when there is something to tell, there’s no need to keep coming out with statements on every little detail besides this info is coming from one of the worst journo’s around.
So believe it or you want but it’ll be like 99% of what he normally prints which is 💩
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
# what
Ollie ffs can we have a comment section that we can edit
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
“the PIF would only be willing to cover half the projected cost” -What!?!
Where did that notion come from? Who do they imagine is going to pay half of something they own 90% of?
davewallace(Quote)
Well obviously the club as an entity would borrow as all other clubs have had to do and they own 80% not 90% the Rubins own 20% so they would be also putting cash in and hey ! Mate jf you had £2b would you fund it all what we are expecting from the Saudis is now getting to sound very entitled and unreasonable however I agree time is up after 4 years Jesus they could have built 2 Stadiums in that time they MUST make a decision because without a bigger Stadium we will never be consistent Title challengers fair play rules will ses to that !
Anthony Hughes(Quote)
There’s nothing coming from the club, it was promised in the new year, then the summer, still nothing, now 26, as for transparent I hated the last owner.
MorpethMag(Quote)
Can see them flipping Newcastle and buying Spurs. Ready built ground and no PSR problems.
Not building or redeveloping the ground in 4 years should set alarm bells ringing with the fans.
Paul regret(Quote)
Nee chance re spuds, they are at the top of their value, nufc are nowhere near. That’s the pif model – add value, long term. It’s frustrating with the stadium but this is also how the Saudis work. It will happen
East Stand(Quote)
Planning permission granted then !
trevor(Quote)