St James' Park

About St James' Park

St James' Park is the home of Newcastle United and the largest structure in the city centre skyline, its cantilevered west stands visible from streets right across Newcastle. Football has been played on the site since 1880, when Newcastle Rangers used the ground, and Newcastle United took it over in 1892 following the merger of two rival local clubs. Successive rebuilding, most substantially through the 1990s and into the early 2000s, took the capacity from around 36,000 to 52,719, making it the ninth largest football ground in England. The result is a deliberately asymmetrical stadium with two very tall stands and two lower ones, a consequence of building constraints on the Leazes side; the steel truss cantilever roof over the Milburn and Leazes complex, completed in 1998, spans 64.5 metres.

The pitch is laid out to maximum international dimensions of 105 by 68 metres, and the ground has hosted far more than league football. It has staged England internationals, matches in the 2015 Rugby World Cup, rugby league fixtures, football at the 2012 Olympic Games and large outdoor concerts. Because it sits within easy walking distance of Monument, Haymarket and St James Metro stations and the Bigg Market, matchdays visibly take over the middle of the city. The club shop and hospitality entrances are on the Barrack Road and Strawberry Place sides of the ground.

Featured in These Guides

Blog posts and guides that feature St James' Park.

Parks and Green Spaces in Newcastle City Centre

Newcastle keeps a thousand acres of grazed common land, the oldest public park on Tyneside and a riverside path all within walking distance of Grey's Monument. Here is how the city centre's green space fits together.

Sport and Fitness in Newcastle City Centre

Newcastle keeps its football ground, its half marathon start line and a thousand acres of common land within walking distance of the shops. A guide to St James' Park, the Great North Run, city-centre pools and the best routes out of the middle of town on foot or by bike.