Premier League club Newcastle United could be forced into a temporary move to Scotland’s Murrayfield Stadium when work is eventually carried out on the redevelopment of St James’ Park.
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Newcastle face Everton in a friendly at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield today, with speculation that the fixture could also give the club an opportunity to assess the stadium’s suitability for hosting Premier League matches.
Murrayfield has hosted football before, with both Liverpool and Manchester United playing friendlies at the home of Scottish Rugby.
However, Newcastle’s fixture has fuelled rumours that the club could consider using the stadium as a temporary home if redevelopment work leaves St James’ Park unavailable.
Plans for the next stage of the stadium project have been delayed, with no firm timeline currently in place for when work will begin. The club’s long-term ambition is understood to involve increasing the capacity of St James’ Park, although a move to a new site has also been discussed.
Whatever route Newcastle eventually take, any major redevelopment would be a significant project and could leave the club needing an alternative venue for a period of time.
Tottenham Hotspur faced a similar situation during the construction of their new stadium, spending a couple of years playing their home matches at Wembley.
Newcastle have fewer obvious alternatives. Sunderland’s Stadium of Light is unlikely to be considered given the fierce rivalry between the two clubs, while there are limited other venues in the region capable of hosting Premier League fixtures.
Murrayfield could therefore provide an interesting solution. The journey between Newcastle and Edinburgh takes around an hour and a half by train, making the Scottish capital relatively accessible for supporters.
There could also be benefits for Scottish Rugby, with a Premier League club potentially providing a regular source of revenue from stadium hire. Scottish football supporters could also be attracted by the prospect of watching Premier League matches at Murrayfield.
For now, however, talk of Newcastle moving to Murrayfield remains unsubstantiated. There has been no official indication from the club that such a move is being seriously considered.
Today’s friendly could nevertheless provide an opportunity for Newcastle to assess just how feasible Murrayfield would be if they eventually need a temporary home.
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