History Of Our Home

The story of St. James' Park

The story of St. James' Park

Now a gleaming glass, steel and concrete icon of the Tyneside skyline, St. James’ Park is actually one of the oldest association football grounds in the country. Here, we look back at its long history and some amazing photos....

The name.

Historically, a hospital and chapel named St. James’ stood near to where the Hancock Museum building now stands in Newcastle.

A hospital and chapel – named St. James’ – once stood near to where the Hancock Museum now stands in Newcastle. In 1542, the master of St. Mary’s and St. James’ granted a lease of land, with plots that extended to Castle Leazes.

St. James Place was later built on the site, and areas around what became known as St. James’ Park – including St. James Street, St. James Terrace and Leazes Terrace – continued to develop in the early 19th century.

At either end of the ground stand the Leazes End and Gallowgate End. The former is named after the neighbouring Leazes Park and Leazes Terrace, while the latter takes its name from the city’s infamous gallows, which were last used in 1844.

The first kick

Did you know...United hosted a women's exhibition match at St. James' Park in April 1895. 8,000 people attended.

Our home’s connection with football precedes the birth of the club, with the first recorded fixture – a practice match – taking place in 1880.

Five years later, 8,000 people attended a women’s exhibition match involving a local team – Newcastle Rangers – at the ground. Newcastle Rangers initially played their games at the Drill Field in Gateshead before moving north of the River Tyne. When they folded in 1884, West End Football Club stepped in.

Major development

A postcard of St. James' Park from the North East corner, 1908

Major development

The city's heavyweight clubs, Newcastle East End and West End FC, merged and formally took up residence at St. James' Park in 1892 - finally becoming Newcastle United.

Under the United banner, the first major development work at the ground took place in 1899. The capacity was set at 30,000 but in 1905, it was doubled to 60,000, becoming what was at the time a state-of-the-art venue – which even featured a swimming pool.

Grand designs

Grand designs

In the 1920s, the club had grand designs for a striking redevelopment by renowned architect Archibald Leitch.

Examples of his work still remain to the present day at Everton's Goodison Park, Fulham's Craven Cottage and in the stunning brick facade of Rangers' Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow.

Modest improvements were made in the early part of the decade before significant plans - including covered stands on all four sides - was drawn up in 1926.

However, moves to redevelop were mired in planning disputes and the project barely got off the ground.

Let there be light

Let there be light

The next significant change to the appearance of St. James' Park came more than two decades later, when floodlight pylons were erected.

The first floodlit game at the stadium was in February 1953, with Celtic the visitors.

Almost 42,000 fans flocked to the ground to witness the spectacle, in which Chilean international George Robledo scored twice to give the Magpies a 2-0 win.

It would be three years later - in February 1956 - that the first floodlit game would take place in the Football League. United were again involved that day, visiting Portsmouth's Fratton Park.

The floodlights at St. James' Park were upgraded significantly in 1958, when United paid £40,000 for four 190ft pylons. They were the biggest and best in Britain at the time and the city's skyline had a striking new feature.

Politics

Politics

After United's cup-winning exploits of the 1950s, the sixties would be a frustrating time for both the club and the football-loving public of Tyneside.

The city missed out on hosting World Cup matches in 1966 when - in the years leading up to the competition - planning difficulties stunted the ground's development on several occasions. Instead, World Cup fixtures went to Middlesbrough's Ayresome Park.

Rising in the East

Rising in the East

United considered moving but in 1971, they had a breakthrough.

More than 50 years since the stadium's last major redevelopment, intervention by the then Minister for Sport, Denis Howell - a former FA referee - saw plans for new stands passed, costing £1m over ten years depending on finances.

Construction on phase one - a new 'East Stand' to replace the Popular Side terrace - began in 1972.

However, recession hit and the club's finances were dented severely. The East Stand would be the only phase completed.

Five years later, the Leazes End was demolished - only for relegation at the end of the 1977/78 season to scupper plans to rebuild it.

Main Stand goes West

The condemned West Stand during demolition

Main Stand goes West

While the Leazes End went uncovered - matching the opposite Gallowgate End, the main West Stand continued to be the mainstay of St. James' Park until shortly after the tragic fire at Bradford City's Valley Parade in May 1985, in which 56 people lost their lives.

The Edwardian structure was identified as a potential risk to public safety and in 1987, it was finally pulled down after 82 years of service.

In its place, the club built the new 'Milburn Stand' - named after legendary number 9, Jackie Milburn.

A smart, two-tiered structure, it featured seats in the upper section and a paddock for supporters to stand in the lower section and was opened in 1988.

Sir John's vision

St. James' Park in 1995 - ready to host Euro '96 games

Sir John's vision

The most seismic change to the appearance of St. James' Park was yet to come.

In 1992, Sir John Hall became the club's chairman and with Kevin Keegan as manager, spectacular change was achieved on and off the pitch.

The club built the 'Sir John Hall Stand' at the Leazes End of the ground in 1993 and continued the overhaul by filling in the corners.

By the time of Euro '96, the club had a first-class all-seater stadium with a capacity of 36,610. Newcastle would not miss out on an international tournament as it had 30 years earlier.

The sky's the limit

St. James' Park following its millennium expansion

The sky's the limit

Under Sir John Hall and with 'The Entertainers' era in full swing, imaginations on Tyneside knew no bounds and yet more development work was planned.

Sir John proposed a new multi-million pound arena for the city's sports teams in the adjacent Leazes Park, however plans were withdrawn following political debate and local objections to construction on the protected Town Moor.

Instead, as Sir John stepped aside and Freddy Shepherd took the reigns in 1997, the club stayed at St. James' Park and pressed ahead with impressive expansion plans - which were given the green light in July 1998.

Construction was completed in 2000, at a reported cost of £43m.

The redevelopment took the stadium's seating capacity north of 52,000 and gave St. James' Park the famous silhouette we know today.

Since, modernisation has continued around the ground, helping to maintain St. James' Park's reputation as one of the greatest arenas in world football.