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Newcastle are weighing up whether to rebuild or move away from their iconic St James’ Park home, but Shay Given has a warning for his former club’s Saudi owners
Newcastle legend Shay Given reckons Toon’s Saudi owners will have to build a 100,000-capacity stadium if they can bring success to Tyneside.
St James’ Park is packed to its 52,000 rafters to watch Eddie Howe’s men every week but there are discussions taking place on whether it would be better to redevelop the club’s famous old home or construct a completely new ground.
Given believes Newcastle have a following that is unrivalled for passion – and with the potential to challenge giants like Manchester United and Liverpool in terms of sheer numbers.
“Whatever option is taken, I think they would need a ground that holds 100,000 to cater for the number of fans who would go to watch a successful Newcastle team,” said Given, the ex-Republic of Ireland international keeper who spent 12 years with the Toon.
“The great thing about Newcastle is that it is a one-club city and the fans are fanatical. Whole families are passionate about the club and that loyalty is passed down through the generations.
“They are so mad for the club to do well and deserve to see success because their team hasn’t won a trophy since 1969. That’s a lifetime ago. I was there when Newcastle reached the FA Cup Final, got to the semi-finals of the Europa League, and had a couple of tilts at the Premier League title, so I’ve seen how the whole city stands still for the football club.
“There are fans who have never seen the club be successful in terms of winning silverware, but I do feel it’s now only a matter of time under the Saudi ownership. Perhaps it won’t be in the next 12 months.
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“But in the years to come it is going to happen – and when it does Newcastle, the city and the club, will really take off. In terms of crowds, Newcastle can be right up there with Manchester United.”
Newcastle travel to Chelsea – a club that has reaped the rewards of the huge investment given to the London club when Given was at the peak of his career. The Irishman was also at Manchester City when Sheikh Mansour’s takeover in 2008 transformed the Blues into a team that has won the last four titles.
Toon fans will have to wait a little longer for sustained success now that Profit and Sustainability Rules have been put in place to limit owner investment.
Given said: “Infrastructure projects like building a stadium or developing a training ground aren’t limited by the financial rules, so perhaps one option for Newcastle is to increase finances by getting more fans through the gate.
“But how many years is that going to take? It’s a minimum of a £1billion investment and putting something like that into place isn’t going to happen overnight. It could take five or six years.
“Newcastle have definitely made strides since the takeover and it’s a completely different club to the one it was before it happened. There’s still a huge buzz around the city – and although that’s been dampened down a bit by the limits of PSR, there is still a lot of optimism about the future.
“I’ve no doubt that financial rules have been tightened up because they are so wealthy and there has been a move to try to stop owners like Newcastle’s from making big signings.
“Chelsea and Manchester City were able to fast-forward investment into their team – and look at what both of those clubs have achieved with no restrictions. Did the money going into those clubs make it a less-exciting Premier League? I don’t think so.
“Newcastle’s hands have been tied and I know the fans are a bit frustrated, but I am sure the Saudi owners haven’t come in to be in the top six or seven. They want to win the Premier League and Champions League. The people at Newcastle mean business.”
Shay Given is a brand ambassador for sports betting platform CopyBet. Visit CopyBet.com
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