NEWCASTLE will rival the likes of Real Madrid to be the best in the world by 2030 – even without a new stadium.
That is the bold prediction from Toon’s new CEO David Hopkinson, who took over the reins when former CEO Darren Eales stood down due to health issues in September.
The confident Canadian arrived at the Mags with an impressive CV of building sporting empires. He oversaw the success of both Toronto’s NHL’s Maple Leafs and NBA Raptors before becoming Real’s Global Head of Partnerships and then the President and CEO of Madison Square Gardens Sports.
It has been four years since the Saudi takeover sparked Toon Army dreams of conquering the planet’s best. And Hopkinson is adamant that is exactly where the North East side will be by the time another four years has passed.
He said: “By 2030, I see this club being in the debate about being the top club in the world. That’s where I see us by 2030.
“That kind of progress doesn’t take as long as you might think. What it takes is clarity of conviction. We have to have the courage to ignore those that doubt us, and even those that laugh at us. Because there will be some.
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“I’ve been through this journey before. I’ve done it with a total underperformer, and that’s definitely not what Newcastle is. Newcastle is already good. But we can’t set a plan here and just think, ‘Well let’s wake up in 2030 and see where we got to’.
“No. It is where do we need to get to by the end of 2025? Where by 2026? 2027? Where are we ahead, where are we behind? We have not written the plan for every granular element that’s going to happen between now and 2030. But what we have got is a highly specific direction of travel and key milestones that need to be hit.”
Aside from on the pitch, Hopkinson will also oversee one of the most pivotal moments in the club’s history with the much-debated stadium decision.
Architects presented Toon’s Saudi PIF owners with a presentation for a stunning new state-of-the-art home on Leazes Park, right next to their current 52,000-seater one.
But that development, or the possibility of rebuilding and extending St. James’ Park, is yet to be signed off.
Hopkinson openly says Newcastle need to increase all revenue streams in order to match the big boys within the parameters of the Premier League and Uefa financial rules.
But the 54-year-old was keen to manage expectations while speaking to fans on stage at an event in the city’s STACK on Monday, admitting that a decision is unlikely to be made any time soon.
He said: “I want to be really clear on this. We have not taken a decision on what we’re going to do. We’re modelling a multitude of different scenarios. But even if we were to make a decision tomorrow, which we’re not going to do, it still takes years of permits, planning, finance, construction etc.
“That’s the case whatever we choose – reimagining St James’ Park or building a new stadium. Either takes years and years. I lived through the total transformation of the Stadio Bernabeu. I was around through years of work. I love what they’ve built – we’ve learned a lot from studying what they’ve built – but these projects are years long.”
He added: “Recognising that we are going to be at St James’ Park in pretty much its current format for years to come is important. Even if we could wave a wand right now, and wake up tomorrow morning with a decision over a brand-new stadium, those revenues would still not show up for five years. You’d already be beyond the 2030 horizon.”
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