Should we stay or should we go?

[Kid Icarus]

I just thought it would be interesting to see what everyone's thoughts are re stadium expansion vs moving, rather than what's happening at the moment which seems to be posters on both sides of the argument thinking that they represent a majority opinion.

 

A couple of things to bear in mind off the top of my head, but I'm sure there'll be others:

Vote splitting: It's limited to 4 options to try and not split the vote, but ultimately options 1 and 2 are at present votes to stay and 3 and 4 are votes to leave.

Age bias: As with most online surveys you're less likely to get the opinion of older generations but with N-O in particular it's going to be heavily Millenials (27 to 42) and Gen Xers (43 to 58) so probably won't be representative of younger fans either.

 

 

Edited June 25 by Kid Icarus

[Scoot]

We have to explore all avenues to expand and stay where we are. 

 

If we do that and we find out we can't really expand much more than we already have and this starts to limit us as a club going forward I think it's inevitable we'll start looking at moving to a new stadium so I chose option 2. I obviously don't want to move but like I say, if not being able to expand significantly is capping our growth, we'll definitely look to move. Its unfortunate but its modern football.

[LiquidAK]

3 minutes ago, Scoot said:

We have to explore all avenues to expand and stay where we are. 

 

If we do that and we find out we can't really expand much more than we already have and this starts to limit us as a club going forward I think it's inevitable we'll start looking at moving to a new stadium so I chose option 2. I obviously don't want to move but like I say, if not being able to expand significantly is capping our growth, we'll definitely look to move. Its unfortunate but its modern football.

 

This reflects my view perfectly. 

[OpenC]

Would have zero objections to moving to Leazes Park and redeveloping existing SJP into a more pleasant area than existing Leazes Park.  It's literally a couple of hundred yards.

 

From a planning perspective, probably every bit as complex as doing anything to Leazes Terrace though, and not something that can be done in one close season so additional complications involved with probably having to play elsewhere for a year.

 

Would be less happy with a move elsewhere in town (Elswick Riverside way basically, I guess, is the only real option) but I'd get over it.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 25 by OpenC

[Andy84]

My preference would be to stay and explore every opportunity to expand.  But you can’t rule out ever moving imo if expansion isn’t doable 

[Kid Icarus]

I should say I've probably got more hard line about staying over the years for a number of reasons.

 

SJP is for me personally an intrinsic part of what it means to be a Newcastle fan. Losing that with it never to return means potentially losing a huge part of my emotional connection with the club.

 

Then the other factors for me are:

 

the sterility and 'matchday experience' of modern stadiums that some people love but I can't stand.

 

Other clubs getting new stadiums and their fans wishing they hadn't left/preferring their old stadium.

 

Stadium moves resulting in an increase of: ticket prices, tourist fans, matchday experience gimmicks/distractions and a decrease in atmosphere 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 25 by Kid Icarus

[Guybrush]

Stay. No question.

 

Call it sentiment or nostalgia or a poor financial decision but I don't want it anywhere else.

 

The location is historic, iconic and baked into the DNA of every Geordie and even the city itself.

 

Usually I'm not one for history standing in the way of progress. Knock down a grade 2 listed building and put up a parking lot for all I care , but this is different.

 

I know it's not logical, but supporting the toon for the most part hasn't been logical either  and neither is footy as a whole. Emotion and sentiment is regularly being squeezed out of the game in the name of finance, and I think this is one instance where we should just let things be.

[gdm]

has to stay. The whole soul of the Club for me is based on the fact the ground is  right in centre of the city. Think if a new stadium is built miles away it loses something. 

[Optimistic Nut]

I'm being selfish and whatever we need to do to make it possible for me to be able to see Newcastle play easier, is what I want.

 

If the demand is so big and its outgrown SJP and there's an option nearby (Leazes Park, the area that people were mentioning where the Arena is for instance) then that's what we should do. 

[NSG]

Stay, if we can expand to a level whereby SJP can satisfy demand for tickets.

 

Leazes Park is the only other option I’d be willing to consider.

[gdm]

4 minutes ago, Optimistic Nut said:

I'm being selfish and whatever we need to do to make it possible for me to be able to see Newcastle play easier, is what I want.

 

If the demand is so big and its outgrown SJP and there's an option nearby (Leazes Park, the area that people were mentioning where the Arena is for instance) then that's what we should do. 

Near by move I don’t mind. What if its miles out to edge of city? Speaking as an occasional visitor it feels like the city as a whole would lose a lot of its atmosphere if the ground was moved 

[Optimistic Nut]

2 minutes ago, gdm said:

Near by move I don’t mind. What if its miles out to edge of city? Speaking as an occasional visitor it feels like the city as a whole would lose a lot of its atmosphere if the ground was moved 

 

No that'd be too much. 

[Coffee_Johnny]

I’d much rather we stayed and although it seems arbitrary, I’d say being able to develop another 10,000 seats would be a reasonable criterion. 
 

If we had to develop a new stadium then I think the potential to build something spectacular (along the lines of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) with the right infrastructure and access should be the main criteria, rather than being within the city limits, something on the banks of the Tyne could give a great boost to the redevelopment of the whole area. People will always have reason to head into the city centre, we might find fewer of the vast majority do don’t attend matches put off from doing so on match days. 

From a business point of view, what was lost/redistributed in alcohol sales may be partially recouped in general sales from retailers. 

 

 

 

Edited June 25 by Coffee_Johnny

[Yorkie]

17 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

SJP is for me personally an intrinsic part of what it means to be a Newcastle fan. Losing that with it never to return means potentially losing a huge part of my emotional connection with the club.

 

That's the principal reason for me, too.

 

When you've spent continuous periods during the Ashley years actively hating the club/believing that the club has effectively died, your emotional connection becomes severely undermined. Even post-Ashley, there's anxiety about our new identity: i.e. our existence as a vehicle for Saudi Arabia and our potential likeness to some of the game's most hideous clubs.

 

If the Ashley years sparked an existential crisis, I'm not convinced we're over it, despite how good things are. But that's probably just the nature of modern top-level football and an indication of the parties and individuals who have the most influence these days. 

 

This is why, for me, it's so critical that we retain the characteristics which are truly symbolic and synonymous with the original institution. SJP and the kit are the club's two most important assets; lose either of them and it becomes far less-recognisable as the club which has developed and grown since 1892.

 

Stay, at all costs. 

[Lush Vlad]

Stay. 
 

Even if it would end up costing say, half the cost of a new stadium. Just to get the capacity up by an extra 5000-8000. I would rather that than relocating. 
 

The stadium is in the perfect spot and it is what makes Newcastle arguably the best match day experience in the league for fans. Unless you’re an away fan in L7, I suppose  

[jack j]

Stay and hopefully get another 7 or 8k seats

If we build a new ground with 70k plus. We won't be filling it in 10 years

[Chris L]

Stay ideally, but if it was to move. Leazes park/castle leazes is the only place I’d be fine with. Similar to what spurs did with building their new one right next to WHL. 
 

 

[Infatuation Junkie]

I know it’s history. Part of the keystone of the city. 
 

But the owners want the absolute best for the club. So on that note. If they wanted to build the worlds biggest stadium and name it the sports donnay Lonsdale arena and it allows us to compete financially with ease. Then so be it.

 

Yes it’s sad. Yes it will hurt. But we really have to leave it in their hands and understand that whatever the outcome. It was for the best interest of the club in the long run.

 

 

ps. Just my personal thoughts. This isn’t Ashley doing a dirty on us. This is now the real deal.

[pormag]

Stay if we can expand.

 

Don't want to move but 52k isn't enough.

[madras]

I think I'm with the majority here. Stay and develop, only move if we can't reach a decent ish capacity and that move HAS to stay in the city, Leazes Park, Arena, or College of art and tech sites.

[Coffee_Johnny]

Like many, I have many memories of people and events, at SJP. As someone who moved away from Newcastle 17 years ago, and had a season ticket for many years before, it is always lovely going back. 

That said, the ground has changed so much since I first attended (aged 7) and started going regularly (in early teens) that ‘it has always been our home’ type narratives remind me of this:

 

 

Edited June 25 by Coffee_Johnny

[RS]

There’s probably an age demographic here, where the younger support see the vision of a modern stadium with all the associated modern design and capacity bragging rights
Being an old fella for me it’s all about the history, memories, culture. Even the walk to the ground feels special.  I’d hate to see us move. 

[Bally21]

If we have to move because expansion is impossible then so be it, but for me it has to be a move to within the city...not some far flung patch of land on the outskirts....if you move the ground out of the city then you destroy a huge part of what the club is and degrade the overall match day experience for a lot of people. 

[madras]

1 minute ago, RS said:

There’s probably an age demographic here, where the younger support see the vision of a modern stadium with all the associated modern design and capacity bragging rights
Being an old fella for me it’s all about the history, memories, culture. Even the walk to the ground feels special.  I’d hate to see us move. 

There's probably something in that.

[Guybrush]

12 minutes ago, Coffee_Johnny said:

Like many, I have many memories of people and events, at SJP. As someone who moved away from Newcastle 17 years ago, and had a season ticket for many years before, it is always lovely going back. 

That said, the ground has changed so much since I first attended (aged 7) and started going regularly (in early teens) that ‘it has always been our home’ type narratives remind of of this:

I get what you're saying in regard to the physical stadium, but most of the argument for staying revolves around the location. I don't think anybody was argue against an upgrade to facilities or increased capacity ala Triggers broom, but it's still got to stay in the same cupboard, to totally butcher your metaphor