| Contents |
|
What's The Ground
Like?
Future Developments
External
View (photo)
What Is It
Like For Visiting Supporters?
Leazes (Sir John Hall) Stand (photo)
Where To Drink?
Newcastle
Brown Stand (Gallowgate End) (photo)
How To Get
There By Car & Where To Park
East Stand (photo)
By Train
By
Air
Looking Towards The
Newcastle Brown (Gallowgate) End (photo)
Local Rivals
Admission Prices
& Ticket Information
Programme
& Fanzines
Ground
Layout
Fixtures 2009-2010
Disabled
Facilities
Record & Average
Attendance
Ground Tours
Other Places Of
Interest
Fans Ground Reviews
Hotel
Accommodation
TOFFS
Google
Map Of The Area
Feedback
Return To The Main
Menu
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| What's The Ground
Like? |
|
The ground has largely
been rebuilt in recent years and is unrecognisable from the St
James' Park of old. On approaching the ground, it looks
absolutely huge, as it appears to have been built on raised
ground. I particularly liked St James' Park as it is totally
enclosed and has a great atmosphere. With the completion of
the additional tier to the Milburn & Leazes (Sir John
Hall) Stands, the capacity has been increased to over 52,000.
These stands have a huge lower tier, with a row of executive
boxes and a smaller tier above. This development has created
the largest cantilever structure in Europe and has a
spectacular looking roof, which allows natural light to
penetrate through it (and hence is good for the pitch).
However the ground now looks somewhat imbalanced with one half
of the ground being significantly larger than the other two
sides.
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|
Future
Developments |
|
The Club have announced plans to
re-develop the Gallowgate End of the stadium. The plans which
also include the construction of a new conference centre,
hotel and residential apartments, would see the overall
capacity of the ground increase to around 60,000. The plans
are subject to local authority approval and as of yet no
formal timescales as to when this might take place have been
announced.
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Page |
| External View |
|
Top Of Page |
| What Is It
Like For Visiting Supporters? |
|
Away fans are housed on the very far side
of the Sir John Hall Stand, in the top tier. Up to
3,000 supporters can be accommodated
in this section for league games and a larger allocation
is available for cup games. Be warned though that it is a
climb of 14 flights of stairs up to the away section and that
you are situated quite far away from the pitch. So if you are scared of heights or have poor eye
sight then this may not be for you.On the plus side you
do get a wonderful view of the whole stadium, plus the
Newcastle skyline and countryside in the distance. Also the
leg room and height between rows are the best that I have come
across and the facilities on offer are pretty good. The
concourse is spacious and there are a
fair selection of pieson offer
including the Chicken Balti Pie, plus the usual burgers and
hot dogs, all served in Newcastle United branded
packaging (which made me wonder if their sales were affected
when playing Sunderland!). There are also televisions on the
concourse, showing live the gamebeing played,
with separate refreshment areas which serve alcohol,
again in Newcastle United branded plastic glasses.
Jeremy Gold a visiting Leyton Orient supporter adds;
'The visitors section is on level seven at the top of the
stand. The view is a long way from the pitch, although it is
still good. If you suffer from vertigo, don't go! The
stewarding at the game I went to was fairly strict. However
people were being warned against gesturing before they were
thrown out. Unfortunately some people didn't take the hint and
about five or six made the long trip back down the fourteen
flights of stairs!'
The atmosphere in St James' Park
can be electric and it is certainly one of the best
footballing stadiums in the country. I personally found the
Geordies friendly and helpful and a trip to Newcastle can be
one of the better away trips in the Premier
League.
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|
Leazes (Sir John Hall)
Stand |
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Top Of Page |
| Where To
Drink? |
|
The ground is one of
the few in the country that is literally right in the centre
of the city. You are only a few
minutes walk from the main shopping areas of Newcastle. There
are plenty of bars to choose from in the city centre, but most
away fans tend to favour the pubs opposite and around
Newcastle Railway Station. The 'A Head
Of Steam' 'The Lounge' and 'O'Neills' are all recommended, but
some of these bars w ill only admit
fans if colours are covered and none
of them admitted children. Also nearby is a Wetherspoons
outlet called the Union Rooms. Alternatively there is Idols
which has strippers and is popular with both home and away
fans .
On my last visit
I went to the Bodega on Westgate Road and had no problems.
This pus is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and had a
friendly atmosphere. Closer to the ground (and just around the
corner from China Town which is good for a cheap lunch) is the
Newcastle Arms on St Andrews Street. This pub is also in the
Good Beer Guide, but unless you arrive very early and have no
colours you are unlikely to gain entrance. Just down the road
is 'The Backpage' book shop, which is an oasis of football
books (including a great football ground guide book..), DVD's,
programmes and memorabilia. Alcohol is also served within the
ground.
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|
Newcastle Brown
(Gallowgate) End |
|
Top Of Page |
| How To Get
There By Car & Where To Park |
At the end
of the A1(M) continue on the A1 and then the A184 towards
Newcastle. Continue along this road, bearing left onto the
A189. Continue over the River Tyne on the Redheugh Bridge,
from which the ground can be clearly seen. Carry on straight
up the dual carriageway (St James Boulevard). This leads
directly to the Gallowgate end of the ground. As the ground is
so central there are a number of pay and display car parks in
the vicinity.
Jason Adderley a
visiting West Brom fan adds; 'An
easier way into the City is to stay on the A1 until the exit
for Westerhope. Leave the A1 go straight over two roundabouts
and then follow the signs for the Royal Victoria Infirmary
(Queen Victoria Road) - parking here is in a multi storey and
allows a reasonably quick getaway after the
game'.
Peter Luckett informs me; 'The traffic in the
city centre can be a nightmare and so is parking. My
recommendation for fans travelling from the South is to head
for Heworth, which is near Gateshead adjacent to the A184. It
has a Metro Station and a long term car park where you can
leave your car for a cost of £1.10. You can then catch the
metro direct to the stadium at a cost of £2-40
return.
For a
map showing the location of the ground click here
(to take you to the Street Map
website).
To go to a simplified page, containing the
directions and pub info, which you can print out click here.
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|
East
Stand |
|
Top Of Page |
| By
Train |
Newcastle
Central Railway Station is half a mile from the ground and
takes 10-15 minutes to walk.
Thanks to Dave Lawson for providing the
directions;
'Come out of the station, across the two zebra
crossings and then head up the pedestrianised Pink Lane. Then cross
Westgate Road at the top. Then up pedestrianised Bath Lane
with the old city walls on your right. Turn right on to
Stowell Street (Chinatown). At the end of Stowell Street bear
left up St Andrews Street by Rosie’s Bar, under the ornate
Chinese arch. Then left up Gallowgate. St James is on your
right'.
Andrew Saffrey adds; 'If you're
feeling lazy, you can get buses 36, 36B, 71, 87 or 88
from Berwick Street (across the road from station), up to the
ground. The fare should be about 50p'. Whilst Claire Stewart
informs me; 'You can also get the metro from inside the train
station up to the ground, which has its own "St. James' Park"
stop. Go on the metro from the railway station to
Monument Metro Station where you need to change trains to go
to St James Park. You can also walk up to the ground from
Monument Station. It's pretty easy to find, and if you do
happen to get lost, then just follow the black and white
crowd!
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| By
Air |
Newcastle
Airport is located seven miles away from the City Centre. The
easiest way to get into Newcastle is to go by the Metro
transit system. The airport has its own Metro station which is
situated next to the passenger terminal. There are frequent
departures to the City Centre and the journey time is 23
minutes. This costs £2 for a single ticket or £3 return (£3.80
at peak periods). You can also purchase a
'day saver' ticket for £3.50 which allows you unlimited travel
on the Metro System for one day. Change at Monument
Metro Station for a Metro to St James Park Station.
To see a
map of the entire Metro system click here (to
take you to the Newcastle University website).
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|
Looking Towards The
Newcastle Brown (Gallowgate) End |
|
Top Of Page |
| Local
Rivals |
| Sunderland,
Middlesbrough.
Top Of Page |
| Admission Prices
& Ticket Information |
|
Home
Fans:
Adults £20-£45, Senior Citizens & Students £15-£34,
Juniors £10-£23.
Away Fans:
Sir John Hall Stand: Adults: £25, Senior
Citizens & Students £19, Juniors £13.
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| Programme
& Fanzines |
Official
Programme: £3.
The Mag Fanzine:
£2.
True Faith Fanzine: £2.
Top Of Page |
|
Ground
Layout |
|
Top Of Page |
| Fixtures 2009-2010 |
| For the
Newcastle United fixture list click here (to take you to the BBC Sports Website).
Top Of Page |
| Disabled
Facilities |
| For details of disabled
facilities at the ground please visit the relevant page on the
National Association Of Disabled Supporters (NADS) website.
Top Of Page |
| Record
& Average Attendance |
Record
Attendance:
68,386 v Chelsea,
Division One, September
3rd, 1930.
Modern All Seated
Attendance Record:
52,327 v Manchester United
Premier
League, August 28th, 2005.
Average
Attendance:
2009-2010: 43,388 (Championship
League)
2008-2009: 48,219 (Premier
League)
2007-2008: 51,321 (Premier League)
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| Ground
Tours & Club
Museum |
| The Club
offer daily tours of the ground . The cost of the tour on non-matchdays
is Adults £10, Concessions £7. On matchdays these ticket
prices are increased by £2. Tours must be pre-booked by
calling 0844 372 1892. As part of the tour a visit to the
Club Museum is also included.
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| Other Places Of
Interest |
|
The Newcastle night life is
legendary, with the bars around Biggmarket and a ferry the
'Tuxedo Princess' (which has been converted to a night club)
being very popular. A lot of fans tend to stay over in
Newcastle for this, or in the nearby coastal town of Whitley
Bay, which is only a 25 minute journey away on the Metro.
Whitley Bay itself is pretty lively and popular for stag
parties. So why not make a weekend of it?
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| Fans
Reviews Of St James
Park |
|
Scott Bowman (West Ham
United) 10/01/09
Marc
Mayo (Reading) 5/04/08
Gareth Carter (Manchester
United) 1/01/07
Anonymous
(Watford) 16/12/06
David Brown (West Ham United)
23/09/07
Dominic
Salmon (Tottenham Hotspur)
13/03/05
Nicky
Rockall (Birmingham City) 1/01/05
Martin Hart (Visiting Scottish Fan)
5/02/05
|
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| Hotel
Accommodation |
| If you
require hotel accommodation in the area then first try a hotel
booking service provided by Football Hotels who are
powered by Activehotels, who specialise in locating
accommodation near or within a short travelling distance of
the football ground. They also have the added advantage over
some other hotel booking services that you pay on departure.
Yes this site will earn a small commission if
you book through them, but it will go to help with the running
costs of keeping the Guide going. To access their Newcastle page click
here.
Top Of Page |
| TOFFS |
The Old Fashioned Football Shirt
company are based nearby in Gateshead and have a factory shop
that may be of interest. You can see how TOFFS shirts are made while browsing their range of retro football shirts for
teams from around the UK and
worldwide. The shop is open Mon-Fri
08.00-17.15 and some Saturday mornings
(phone for details).
0191 4913500 or enquiries@toffs.com or
www.toffs.com Factory
Shop at Unit 11C, Station Approach, Earlsway, TVTE, Gateshead,
NE11 0ZF. Click here for a location
map.
|
| Google
Map |
|
Map showing the location of the
stadium, railway stations and listed pubs.
Instructions for using the map:
- Use the
bar on the left of the map to zoom in / out using the + / -
keys.
- Click and drag an area of the map to move
around or use the up/down, left/right arrows
on the map.
- Click the Satellite button to see aerial
view photograph.
View
Larger Map
|
| Feedback |
| If anything
is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail
me and I'll update the guide.
* Although the
Club didn't move in until 1892, the land had been used for
football since 1880.
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