OptimusSlime

Villa looked like they gave up. Emery is overrated. Absolutely miles away from our level as a club from top to bottom. Bailey was terrible. Torres looked lost. Martinez is a cheat. Mings was unfortunate to be fair. Spineless performance from a club I will always dislike after their bedsheet antics and delighted to give them a hiding. Let’s face it our bench is better than their first 11. Let’s stop overrating other teams who are miles off Eddies fucking mags.

Thought the atmosphere was class today. Obviously 5 goals helps but what a day.

Champions League v Europa League. Different class.

That area down by the arena is grim - you can’t wait to get away from it if you ever go to an event at the arena. No amount of shiny new buildings I suspect would make me want to spend time there. I can’t say I ever fancy a walk around e.g . the redeveloped brewery/science city area and you could tell me there is a great bar or coffee place there and I wouldn’t bother as it’s soulless. Hoping and expecting expansion in some way and that we avoid joining the list of clubs who have left their historic ground for a stadium. I went to Old Trafford for the England match a few months ago, had never been there before but you could feel the history of the ground(which I would add is worse in a whole host of ways then current SJP). Conversely when went to Wembley it felt like the Metro Centre. Appreciate I may be in a minority but I am passionately, unconditionally against leaving SJP.

If there is to be a new stadium - zero chance it is ready to move into in less than 36 months let alone in under 24 months. More like 2028/29 at the very earliest.

He’s out of contract I think so it may well be essential.

Agree completely. There is so much untapped revenue from existing SJP. I expect further refurbs within the ground and more existing areas converted to premium or hospitality next summer again too. As other posters have said, cost of labour/materials is huge nowadays. The value of an expansion is poor. Unless a Saudi vanity project is wanted - which it may well be.

It’s completely full.

The 1630 Sunday televised kick offs I can see many becoming available. Saturday 3pms outside of summer holidays less so.

But in terms of location - Anfield is seriously grim. SJP is unique in the city centre rather than in the middle of an estate away from the city centre like Anfield.

They’ve spent a few quid to be fair, the boxes have all been renovated and platinum club too. Then add in the rooftops and whatever the wings is and they are modernising (horribly overdue).

Agree, and there is significant capacity to increase revenue from the existing SJP by creating more hospitality/corporate and generally increasing prices. There continues to be several thousand £86 child season tickets in the family enclosure - cannot see it continuing.

SJP has 77 boxes as it is which isn’t a mile away from close to 100. All sold out this season mind.

I fancy him to start Barnes.

I don’t remember the debate of the time just have an awareness that the freemen have a firm protect the moor mentality.

I get a bit confused about the various moors but are we basically talking about building on partly student accommodation and partly grass e.g. the town moor? Where the freemen graze the cows? Again would see huge opposition from environmentalists to that added to the complex ownership of that land (council the land and freemen of the city the turf).

I expect:- Pope Schar (hopeful perhaps) Botman Trippier Burn Bruno Joelinton Longstaff Almiron Barnes Isak Tonali, Gordon and Wilson to get decent minutes off the bench.

I just don’t think building in Leazes Park is as viable as many seem to think on here. It’s a Grade II listed Victorian park. I don’t go there often but I see bigger barriers to building there than I do Leazes Terrace. The only viable site I can think of for a new city centre stadium is where the arena is. Other than that you are out in the sticks.

Has anyone been unable to get a seat who dosn’t have an ST and missed out in ballot or resale? Everyone I know in real life who wanted a ticket has managed to get one… Wonder if we truly need a 75k capacity stadium after all…

Agree completely. It’s back to the 90s when supply is exceeding demand. if any season ticket holder can’t/won’t afford the price increases that will come in over the next couple of years, someone else will step in your place. This is the last season of the 10+ year deals and an opportunity for the club to amend season ticket pricing at the end.

And the club is now in a position to Jack prices up because if the current ST holder can’t or won’t pay there is someone desperate to be queuing up to do so. The club can make so much more money from the current stadium, people nowadays will pay big money to be part of big live events (and let’s face it in Newcastle PL football is the only show in town).

So again why build a new stadium/spend up to or over £100m on an expansion if you can just turn existing areas of the ground corporate? Save a fortune on investment and make loads more £££ from current St James (with some modernisation/luxury added). I saw an advert for “The Wings” the newest hospitality area this weekend on the big screen. That to be added to the former Sports Bar in the Milburn end and the “Rooftops” - it’s happening already.

I was thinking about capacity and the ground when in St James today. The thing is if you are the owners (Staveley, Rueben, PIF are investing, want success but are ultimately capitalists looking at Chelsea, Spurs etc for inspiration) - do you:- A) Spend at least £80 million expanding the ground to say 64k (that’s what Anfield cost apparently)? Then make an extra say £12 million per year (12k seats x £1k per season ticket) B) Spend £1 billion to build a new stadium (cost of Spurs ground apparently) to make an extra £15 to £20 million per year depending how many seats you fit in? C) Keep ground as is. Get rid of the cheaper family enclosure, add 30% to all season tickets and make an extra minimum of £9 million per year instantly (30k season tickets x average £300 per year increase) Spurs new ground made a lot more since as they were stuck with 36k seats at White Hart Lane. I don’t see how the investment makes sense for a brand new stadium for us unless unless we are adding at least 25k additional seats. Unless we are taking about a new stadium being a PIF vanity project.

Parts of the Leazes/Milburn had people seated in line with/above the lower bowl but below L7 I thought the 34k attendance today sounded accurate. Yesterday they issued pass outs too. Those are outstanding numbers for 2 x consecutive days of freindlies whichever way you spin it. Thought the atmosphere today was strong for a friendly primarily due to Strawberry corner standing section. Like having a block of Newcastle away fans at St James. Villarreal acting like shits at times helped. We are going to need more safe standing.

To be fair if you are coming from Dubai you probably don’t think much of dropping £400 to sit in a corporate suite. FWIW I don’t think the prior queue method was fair. If you work in a hospital, factory etc etc at 10am very difficult to sit on your phone in a queue managing multiple browsers. If you work from home, are tech savvy etc you were massively favoured. Back in the day my day told me about going to the pub at night then after last orders getting in the queue for the box office for Wembley tickets for the 74 cup final and standing there all night so accessing tickets has constantly changed over the decades. Unfortunately while demand outstrips supply many are going to miss out. I can though see changes after this season of pricing for season ticket holders (particularly those on the final year of Ashley special deals). I could also see changes to the Family enclosure i.e. reduction of that area as kids age out of it. We could then see season tickets on sale and a waiting list in place.