We'll be here at St James' for years to come, admits United chief

EXPANSION OF GALLOWGATE END IS BEING CONSIDERED, SAYS HOPKINSON

- By LEE RYDER

NEWCASTLE United CEO David Hopkinson is refusing to close the door on extending the Gallowgate End - admitting Toon chiefs accept that the club are staying at St James’ Park for ‘years’ to come.

Hopkinson told The Journal that ‘tweaks’ at St James’ are still possible and that ‘nothing is written in stone’ in terms of what can and can’t be done in certain areas of the ground.

However, the club's feasibility report is understood to have shown that the Gallowgate End is the only area of the current ground that can be extended.

What we also know is that Newcastle are committed to playing at St James’ Park for at least three more years as they look forward to hosting part of Euro 2028 - with an England game in the knockout stages on Tyneside possible.

When asked about making more of what Newcastle have in between a decision to potentially leave for a new ground, Hopkinson told The Journal: “We're looking at a multitude of different scenarios. One of the things we are reviewing right now is that we're going to be here, in something like the current format, for years.

“I think that there are some things we've maybe not done because we've been waiting for the bigger decision. I think we're going to think about the phasing of this next phase of our lives, and recognise that there are things we need to do now with regard to the stadium issue.

“Maybe we can incorporate that in a future renovation? Maybe we can pick it up and move it with us to a new park?

“But recognising that we are going to be at St James’ Park in pretty much its current format for years to come is important. We're thinking through what improvements we should make in that intervening period. We could make tweaks and changes to improve the here and now.”