3 days Ago By [email protected] (Lee Ryder)
Newcastle United head into 2025 with plenty to be positive about and lots to look forward to in the new year. After overcoming a rocky patch in the Premier League, Eddie Howe's team could even end 2024 in a Champions League position with the club's pre-season aim of getting back into Europe's premier competition a possibility in 2025. However, it will be activity on and off the field that Newcastle fans can look ahead to in the next 12 months.
With new stadium proposals , a new CEO, positive revenue figures and plenty of transfer business in and out to come in the next 12 months, once again it's all happening on Tyneside. Here's what will be in store at St James' Park in the year ahead. As reported by Chronicle Live on Saturday , Newcastle insiders are now believed to have been shown some stunning draft images of what a new St James' Park and a move to a new stadium could look like.
The next step will be to present the options to both the fan advisory board and the supporters in general in early 2025. However, after months of waiting and a few hints from stadium project supremo Brad Miller, a big announcement is being prepped for United fans as we speak. Club stadium supremo Brad Miller told fans of "two options" in the pipeline as the Magpies look to make a "once in a generation" decision.
Miller said in November, in a fan event at the STACK : "The first choice is if we stayed at St James' we have the 52,000 seats already. It will come with significantly more money if we transform it, and it will look amazing. That's option one.
"Option two is if we were to move away, and not too far away as we aren't going to stretch the elastic band to the point of breaking. The second option we are looking at it seriously as it does have the potential to earn more than twice as much in terms of revenue, compared to a transformation of St James' Park. And more seats, a lot more seats potentially.
" As one sources has briefed Chronicle Live already, it is understood that whatever is on the table will be deemed a "win, win" for the Toon Army. If 2024 was the story of the countdown to Newcastle's fan zone on Strawberry Place, then 2025 is likely to be the year when the fruits of the club's labour will be on show. Commercial chief Peter Silverstone has already made it clear that profits off the field will be used to improve the team on it.
And the club's profit-making machine at the STACK is already up and running nicely. Tickets for a New Year's Eve event at the fan zone went like hot cakes with over £50,000 banked on admission fees alone before a drink is poured. As reported by Chronicle Live earlier this month, the new STACK has been doing a roaring trade with STACK clocking up profits of around £400,000 in the week leading up to Christmas alone with numbers over £1.
5million potentially going into the coffers this month. That can only get better going into 2025 for Newcastle and with the accounts for the past 12 months to come, Silverstone and his commercial team will be looking to beat last year's revenue profit of £250m. Newcastle will still have a way to go before they can match Man City's revenue of £715m of course, but they are slowly closing the gap.
It's understood that 11 contracts are up for expiry at St James' Park including some big first-team hitters that Eddie Howe will undoubtedly want to hold on to. CEO Darren Eales stated in July: "As we all know as a club, Newcastle United over the last 10 to 15 years has not done a very good job in trading players, and that's one of the ways that you can give yourself more headroom to spend." It means that January could see some squad players moved on with Miguel Almiron, Kieran Trippier and Sean Longstaff all deals that could drum up funds for incoming business.
Howe will put up a fight to hold on to some stars but even the head coach has warned that losing players on a free transfer is dangerous and outgoing moves will be inevitable for some stars. Darren Eales made the sad announcement at the start of the season that he would be stepping down for health reasons. But the former Atlanta chief is working a long notice period and will still be around at the start of the year.
A new incoming CEO will be appointed with former Arsenal director Vinai Venkatesham an early contender. Venkatesham is an associate of Silverstone so the switch would make sense. Eales had said: "In the short term, it will be business as usual in terms of running the club's day-to-day operations, and I will give my full support to a transitionary period that will enable the board to carefully assess and appoint my successor.
" Even Eddie Howe has admitted that the PSR rule book is a major hurdle that he has to get to grips with. He has already warned that there could be no incoming business in January and pointed to the second window of 2025. Sources at Newcastle have suggested that the summer window, with PSR headroom set to open up later in the year, could be the trading period to watch.
Newcastle could wheel and deal in January but Howe has been clear from the start of the January window what could happen. Howe said: "Any player that we bring into the club has to have value. Short-term or long-term.
And of course we don't want to destabilise the squad by losing players either. So it could be a case that we do nothing this January and move on to the summer." It's quick and easy to join.
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