NEWCASTLE UNITED
Premier League, St James’ Park, Saturday 30 March 2024, 12.30pm GMT
‘Newcastle away’ is always one of the first games the Claret and Blue Army looks for when the new fixture list is announced.
Why? Because it is a fantastic city for a weekend away, with bars, pubs and clubs galore, the iconic River Tyne and its famous bridges, an historic stadium slap bang in the middle of town, and a population absolutely obsessed with their football club.
Newcastle United have had a memorable past 12 months, finishing fourth in the Premier League last season to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, then subsequently welcoming AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain to St James’ Park.
The Magpies’ top-flight form might not have matched last season so far this term, and their European challenge may be over, but Eddie Howe’s side still harbour hopes of qualifying for continental competition once again.
The stage is set for another big game at St James’ Park on Easter Saturday!
How to get there…
With no unreserved car parking on matchdays and traffic restrictions galore, Newcastle United ‘strongly recommend’ that supporters use public transport to reach St James’ Park.
If you do opt to drive to the North East, the Magpies operate Park and Ride from two sites close to the A1 motorway – one at Newcastle Great Park (near Newcastle Racecourse) and the other at the Metrocentre in Gateshead.
It’s probably more relaxing to let the train take the strain, with East Coast Mainline services from London Kings Cross stopping at Newcastle Central, just a signposted ten-minute walk from the stadium. Alternatively, you can take a taxi. Book your train tickets at lner.co.uk.
If you prefer, you can take a coach. National Express will deliver you to Newcastle Coach Station on St James’ Boulevard, while Megabus operates from outside Newcastle Central railway station.
Where to stay…
As a regional hub for the North East and a major tourist destination, Newcastle upon Tyne has literally hundreds of options ranging from two to five-star hotels to traditional bed and breakfasts to hostels.
You could opt to stay in or near the city centre or, if you wanted something different, you could stay in the seaside resort of Whitley Bay a few miles to the north, or in the historic Cathedral city of Durham, 20 miles to the south and one stop away on the train.
What to do…
Arguably, St James’ Park is Newcastle’s No1 tourist attraction and is open for stadium tours!
However, since you’ll be visiting St James’ Park for the match, you will probably want to do something else to fill your free time.
In addition to the hundreds of restaurants and bars, including the Chinatown area directly south of the stadium, Newcastle’s major landmarks are worth a visit, including the Quayside on the north bank of the River Tyne, the iconic Tyne Bridge and Newcastle Castle.
Those arriving in Newcastle ahead of time could do worse than spend the Good Friday evening at Kingston Park, where the Falcons will host Leicester Tigers in Premiership Rugby in a 7.45pm kick-off.
What’s happened there before…
We’ve had mixed results at St James’ Park since returning to the Premier League a decade ago, winning there in 2012/13, 2018/19 and 2021/22, drawing three times and losing on four occasions.
Our 3-0 win at Newcastle United in December 2018, with Chicharito (two) and Felipe Anderson sharing the goals, equalled our most emphatic victory on Tyneside, matching the Premier League win in October 1998 and Second Division success in August 1978.
On the opening day of 2021/22, in St James’ Park’s first match with a full crowd following the COVID pandemic, we roared back from a goal down twice to win 4-2, with Aaron Cresswell, Saïd Benrahma, Tomáš Souček and Michail Antonio getting the goals.
Last season, Newcastle had a goal disallowed and scored one which stood inside the opening three minutes, but David Moyes’ visitors recovered to draw 1-1 thanks to Lucas Paquetá’s close-range finish.
