In a Q&A on The Chronicle, Lee Ryder has revealed that Newcastle’s prospective new owners may consider rebuilding St James’ Park.
What did he say?
The Magpies look set to be on the verge of entering a new era under fresh ownership, and with it a sense of hope and excitement at what the future can hold.
And now, Ryder has delivered a rather optimistic verdict on how that could in turn affect the club’s stadium, and revealed that parts of the “dated” ground could undergo some major work.
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He said: “I think this day and age there are ways to increase the capacity and while the facilities are adequate, areas of the stadium have become dated and I think we can all see that.
“We need to see more than a lick of paint because that quickly starts to look tired. When I go to Man City’s Etihad Stadium I see something new every season, it would be great to think of St James’ Park being like that one day. If the Reuben brothers are onboard I’m sure with their know-how they would take a long hard look at the existing layout.”
New life
There can be no questioning that under Mike Ashley, St James’ Park had lost some of its magic and passion, with fans understandably struggling to identify with things both on and off the pitch.
Even Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said last year: “I have always felt sad, to be fair, going to Newcastle over these last couple of years. I have always felt that there’s never been the connection between the ownership, and the fans, the players and the manager. You always need that at a club if you want to be successful.”
But if this takeover goes through, then some new life can be breathed into St James’ Park. The stadium itself may look better and modernised, but perhaps more importantly, the kind of footballing home that fans love going to week-in and week-out.