St James’ Park Stadium

In the city of Newcastle, football is considered to be akin to a religion, so it’s somewhat suitable that St. James’s Park towers over the city like a cathedral, casting a shadow over all that sits below it. It has the largest capacity in the North-East and has been a location for football matches since 1880.

General information

Official website: https://www.nufc.co.uk/stadium

Arena capacity: 52,354 spectators

Address: Barrack Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4ST, UK

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 54°58′32″N 1°37′18″W

Year of construction: 1892

Construction cost: 42 million pounds

Field: Desso GrassMaster lawn with dimensions of 115 × 74.4 yards (105 × 68 metres)

Seating plan of the St James’ Park Stadium

On approaching St James’ Park, it looks absolutely huge, dominating the skyline. In 2000 an additional tier was added to both the Milburn and Leazes Stands increasing the capacity to over 52,400. These stands have a huge lower tier, with a row of executive boxes and a smaller tier above.

It has a spectacular looking roof, which at the time was the largest cantilever structure in Europe. This roof gives the stadium a unique look, which is almost breath-taking. The roof is mostly transparent allowing natural light to penetrate through it, facilitating pitch growth.

However, on the whole, St James’ Park looks somewhat unbalanced with one half of the ground being significantly larger than the other two sides. These remaining two sides the Gallowgate End and East Stand are both of the same height and are two-tiered.

The stadium is also totally enclosed with all four corners being filled with seating. In October 2014 a large video screen was installed on the upper side of the Sir John Hall Stand, which looks rather odd, in terms of its position. Outside the stadium, there are three statues; of former players Jackie Milburn and Alan Shearer, plus former manager Sir Bobby Robson.

There is an odd look to St. James’ Park when viewed from both the air and some positions on the ground. This is because the ground is asymmetrical and there is a difference in height between different parts of the ground.

1. The Gallowgate End. Officially known as the Newcastle Brown Ale Stand because of sponsorship, the Gallowgate is at the Southern End of the ground.
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2. The Leazes End. Also known as The Sir John Hall Stand, this is at the Northern end of the ground and is where the away fans are sat. That means that there is often a good atmosphere here.
3. The Milburn Stand. The main stand in the ground and named after the 1950s Newcastle star Jackie Milburn.
4. The East Stand. This is the smallest of all four stands at St. James’ Park and is named The East Stand for obvious reasons, though there was discussion to rename it The Sir Bobby Robson Stand after his death.
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Away fans

Away fans are housed on the very far side of the Leazes 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 quite a climb of 14 flights of stairs up to the away section (that is 140 stairs to be negotiated, although there is a lift available if you are unable to take the stairs) and that you are situated quite far away from the pitch. So if you are scared of heights or have poor eyesight 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 some the best and the facilities on offer are pretty good.

Away fans also get the best view of the new video screen that has been installed as it is located on that side of the stand. The concourse is spacious and there is a fair selection of pies on offer including the Chicken Balti Pie (£3.50), plus the usual burgers and hot dogs, all served in Newcastle United branded packaging.

There are also televisions on the concourse, showing live the game being played, with separate refreshment areas which serve alcohol, again in Newcastle United branded plastic glasses. If you are stuck for cash there is an ATM located near to the Sir Bobby Robson Statue, which is on the corner of Milburn and Gallowgate Stands.

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 is fairly strict. However, people are being warned against gesturing before they are thrown out. Unfortunately, some people don’t take the hint and about five or six made the long trip back down the fourteen flights of stairs!

Food on offer inside the stadium includes; Mag Pies (luckily no magpies in them, but mince and onion £3.70), Balti Pies (£3.60), Peppered Steak Pies (£3.90), Cheese and Onion Pies (£3.50).

The atmosphere in St James’ Park can be electric and it is certainly one of the best footballing stadiums in the country. The Geordies friendly and helpful. A trip to Newcastle is certainly one of the better away trips in the League and one that many fans look forward to.

Where to buy tickets?

Newcastle don’t make it as easy as some other clubs to discover their ticket prices, but you can look at a snapshot in time to get some idea of the prices you’ll have to pay. When the Magpies hosted Bournemouth in the Premier League in November of the 2017-2018 Premier League season, for example, tickets were broken up into three categories. Here’s a look at the pricing for each of them:

You can buy tickets through the club’s official website, but you’ll have to sign up to become an official supporter in order to do that. You can call the club’s box office too as well as drop in to the physical box office at St. James’ Park. On the day of the game you might see people offering to sell you tickets near the ground but we’d suggest you avoid them. For starters there’s no guarantee that the tickets will be real but even if they are it will probably go against the club’s terms and conditions to use someone else’s ticket.

How to get there?

Newcastle isn’t exactly central London, so it isn’t exactly simple to get there, but it isn’t all that complicated either. The fact that the stadium is in dominating position in the centre of the city also means that it’s easy to find once you reach the city itself.

Newcastle isn’t exactly central London, so it isn’t exactly simple to get there, but it isn’t all that complicated either. The fact that the stadium is in dominating position in the centre of the city also means that it’s easy to find once you reach the city itself.

At the end of the A1(M) continue onto the A1 North 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.

Post Code for SAT NAV: NE1 4ST.

An easier way into the City is to stay on the A1 until the exit for Westerhope. Leave the A1 and 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.

Parking at Newcastle College

Around a 10-15 minute walk away from St James Park is Newcastle College, where around 400 car parking spaces are available for home matches and other events at the stadium such as the Magic Weekend of Rugby League. The cost to park there is £4, which is paid on entry and then you will be given a voucher to display on your dashboard.

The car park is supervised with security coverage. If approaching Newcastle from the South and following the directions above, then after bearing left onto the A189 and crossing over the River Tyne. Then at the next set of traffic lights turn left onto the A695 signposted Blaydon/Metro Radio Arena and at the next roundabout turn right into the College car park.

The car park is in easy walking distance of Newcastle Railway Station and City Centre. To walk straight to the stadium, then exit the car park via the entrance you drove through and turn left. At the traffic lights turn left onto the main St James Road. Just walk straight up St James Road and you will soon spot the stadium up in front of you. It is just over half a mile from the College to St James Park.

Park & Ride

There is a Matchday Park & Ride service which operates from Gateshead Metrocentre (NE11 9YG). It is free to park there and the Bus costs £2 return. The X50 Soccerbus operated by Go North East commences two hours before kick off. It leaves from the Metrocentre Coach Park and returns from Barrack Road (behind the Milburn Stand) with the last bus leaving one hour after the match has ended.

There is also the option of renting a private driveway near St James’ Park via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.

By train

Newcastle Central Railway Station is half a mile from St James’ Park and takes around 10-15 minutes to walk.

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.

If you’re feeling lazy, you can get buses 36, 36B, 71, 87 or 88 from Berwick Street (across the road from the station), up to the ground. The fare should be about 50p. You can also get the metro from inside the train station up to the ground, which has its own St. James stop. Go on the metro from the Central 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!

Please note that some of the metro trains passing through Central Station in the direction of Monument show St James as their destination. If you board one of these trains, you still need to change at Monument station for St James Park. To be honest, the ground is so close to Central Railway Station that unless you have difficulty walking or the weather is really foul, you’re better off on foot.

Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the Trainline website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets.

Bus

There are two main bus stations in Newcastle; Haymarket and Eldon Square. These stops are both near to the ground and are serviced by buses from the city centre. Be aware, though, that Stagecoach buses don’t stop there.

Taxi

A taxi from the airport, for example, would cost you about £25 and will take around 15 minutes to get there.

Facilities

Though prices for alcohol are considered to be a bit pricey at St. James’ Park, you’ll find the bar staff friendly and the amount of kiosks you can go to plentiful. You’ll also be able to get some tasty food and you can place a bet in a number of different places on the concourses.

Hospitality

There are a significant number of hospitality options available at St. James’ Park. From suites that are designed do invite as many people as possible into the ground through to private boxes that offer you a degree of privacy and personalisation. We’re not going to cover all of the packages here, but we’ll give you a taster on the different options you can choose from.

The Sir Bobby Robson Suite is dedicated to one of the club’s finest sons and you’ll find the walls decorated with pictures of him. You’ll get a complimentary bar, on site parking, extensive a la carte eating options and access to seating in the director’s box. You’ll also be entered into a a match day competition and get an exclusive corporate gift.

If you’d like a more relaxed atmosphere then perhaps The Heroes Club will be for you. You’ll still get the director’s box seating and on-site car parking but you’ll also get a gourmet three-course meal, a cheeseboard and pre and post-match entertainment, normally featuring a former or current Newcastle player.

Private hire

Like tours and hospitality options, Mike Ashley knows there’s money to be found in private hire and so he’s set St. James’ Park up to be one of the premier venues in the North-East. The club offers standard, deluxe and daily delegate packages for your convenience, meaning whatever type of event you want to host you’ll almost certainly be able to do it at the home of Newcastle United.

You can book conference suites for big meetings or events, then there are also executive boxes that can accommodate between 10 and 40 people so they’re ideal for smaller breakout meetings or smaller events in their own right. St. James’ Park also features the Bamburgh Suite, which is the largest dining space in Newcastle.

Whether you’re looking to launch a new product, hold an exhibition, host a conference or even invite people to a fashion show, you’ll be able to do it at Newcastle’s home ground. You can even hold a prom night there, should that take your fancy!

Pubs & Bars Near St James’ Park

St James’ Park is one of the few remaining football grounds in the country that is located 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 some of the pubs opposite and around Newcastle Railway Station. The ‘A Head Of Steam’ ‘The Newcastle Tap’ and ‘The Lounge’ are all popular with visiting supporters, but some of these bars will only admit fans if colours are covered and none of them admits children.

The Head of Steam is also listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. Nearby is a former Wetherspoons pub called the Union Rooms, which is under new ownership. This pub is happy to admit away fans and is family friendly.  Please note that the Gotham Town and the Victoria Cornet pubs located across from the railway station do not admit visiting supporters.

The Bodega on Westgate Road is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and has 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 known for its real ale, but unless you arrive very early and are not wearing colours you are unlikely to gain entrance. Just down the road is ‘The Back Page’ bookshop, which is an oasis of football books, DVD’s, programmes and memorabilia.

Alcohol is also served within the ground in the form of Carling (500ml bottle £4.50), Coors (330ml bottle £4.40), Kingstone Press Cider (500ml bottle £4.40), Kingstone Press Wild Berry Cider (500ml bottle £4.70), Wine (White, Red or Rose 187ml bottle £5), Gin and Tonic (Can £5.50) and Jack Daniels and Coke (Can £6).

St James’ Park Hotels

Newcastle has a thriving night scene and is a popular city for students, so there are a lot of hotel options around the place. We’ve picked some that are quite close to the ground for you here, though.

1. Sleeperz Hotel Newcastle – £59+. Address: 15 Westgate Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 1SE. Half a mile from the ground sits this fun looking, exciting hotel with 98 rooms and a restaurant and bar. There is also a snack bar and a meeting room, should you like that sort of thing.
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2. Sandman Signature Newcastle Hotel – £89+. Address: Gallowgate, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 4SD. Just 0.2 miles from St. James’ Park is this 4-star hotel with 175 rooms, self-parking, a restaurant and bar and a fitness centre.
3. Mercure Newcastle County Hotel – £131+. Address: Neville Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 5DF. The Mercure Hotel is part of the Mercure chain, so you know the sort of quality you’re going to get there. There’s a bar and lounge, self-parking and even wedding services, should you wish to tie up your match going experience with your wedding day.
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History

St. James’ Park is the oldest and largest stadium in North-East England and has been the home of Newcastle since the club’s inception. Football was played there as far back as 1880, however, with Newcastle Rangers, Newcastle West End FC and Newcastle East End FC all taking time to kick a ball around the turf there.

The ground hasn’t just been used for league and cup football, though. In the 2012 Summer Olympics it was used as a stadium for the football matches, whilst in 2015 it was one of the locations for the Rugby World Cup.