Ground Name: St.James' Park
Capacity: 52,316 (all seated)
Address: St. James' Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 4ST
Main Telephone No: 0191-201-8400
Fax No: 0191-201-8600
Ticket Office: 0191-261-1571
Pitch Size: 110 x 73 yards
THE GROUND
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. St James' Park 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.
AWAY END
Away fans are housed in the Sir John Hall Stand in the North West corner of the ground, in the very top tier of the stand. Up to 3,000 fans can be accommodated in this section for Premiership 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 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.
GETTING THERE
The stadium is located in the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Car:
From the West:
Follow the A69 into Newcastle, cross the A1 roundabout and follow the A186 (West Road) signed City (West). After 2 miles you will see the General Hospital on your left. Immediately after the Hospital turn left signed Arthurs Hill/RVI. After 200 yards turn right at traffic lights down Arthurs Hill and continue straight down hill into Stanhope Street. Continue straight on for 0.5 miles and at roundabout at bottom of hill turn right into Barrack Road. Stadium is on the left.
From the South:
From the A1(M), after Washington Services and Junction 65, the motorway divides - keep left following the signs for the A1. Take the centre or right hand lane and continue following signs for Newcastle and Airport. Pass the Angel of the North on the right and continue for a further 3 miles before turning off left on the A184 signed Gateshead/Newcastle (Centre).Continue for 1.5 miles then take the right hand lane signed A189 to Newcastle. This takes you over the Redheugh Bridge which leads into St. James' Boulevard. After 0.5 miles turn left at Gallowgate roundabout and stadium is on the right.
TRAIN
Newcastle Central Railway Station is half a mile from the ground and takes 10-15 minutes to walk.
Come out of the station, across the two zebra crossings and head right onto Grainger Street. Follow this road up to the second set of traffic lights (at Pizza Hut). This will see you at the top of the Bigg Market - Drinker's Paradise! You should have met a throng of black and white shirts by now, but failing that, bear left onto Newgate Street and follow the road all the way around to the roundabout with Gallowgate. Following this road all the way round will lead you straight to St James Park and the away fans' section.
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. 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!
BY PLANE
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). Change at Monument Metro Station for a Metro to St James Park Station.