NB: Compiled from reading club material, asking questions, general observation and anecdotal evidence - presented on a totally unofficial basis by a totally unofficial website for the assistance of football fans. 

Presented on a best endeavours basis, use at your own risk.

Publications

Matchday programme - available from local newsagents 24 hours before kickoff, from street vendors or also by subscription from number below. Price for 2007-08 tbc.

Subscriptions available from the club on: 0191 201 8502

Club Shops

Branches located at:

St.James' Park (South East "Strawberry" corner)
Monument Mall
Eldon Square (Northumberland Street entrance)
Metro Centre

Club Nickname: "The Magpies" or unofficially "The Toon" 

Club Sponsors (Main / shirt sponsors): Northern Rock 

Useful Telephone Numbers:  

Club Colours 

(Current kit suppliers: Adidas)

	First Strip:   Shirts: black and white stripes  Shorts: black with white detail Socks: black with white detail
	Second Strip:  Shirt: Blue with maroon panel  Shorts: Blue with maroon trim Socks: Blue with maroon & white hoops at top
	Third Strip: n/a

Officials  (based on club press releases)

Football Management 

Ticket Information

Home First Team Games

The capacity of the ground is 52,397 of which up to 3,000 are allocated to away fans. Of the rest there are approximately 41,000 season ticket holders and around 2,500 tickets are kept back to be sold on a match-by-match basis.

Those tickets normally go on sale two weeks before each home game, usually on the Monday at 9am (but sometimes on different days) to personal callers, telephone callers and now online via the official site (requires registration). 

The ticket section on the main page of NUFC.com normally lists these dates for the next couple of home games. Beware that the cheaper (less than £30) tickets go quickly  leaving punters with £40+ prices to swallow.

The Ticket office number is: 

0191 261 1571

You stand the best chance of getting the tickets you want if you can get to the ground in person and queue. The ticket office is at the South West corner of the ground in the space formerly occupied by the club shop. 

Away First Team Games

The average allocation for Newcastle away games is between 2,000 and 4,000 and there are repeated instances in recent years of the club not taking their full entitlement.

Basically they will only take what they can guarantee to shift to regular away travellers - while there's also a sub-plot allowing exclusive beambacks to Shearer's Bar at SJP - but only if the away section is sold out. 

If you aren't a season ticket holder, you are almost certainly wasting your time applying, unless the club have advertised a public sale. Applications are normally only accepted via the special vouchers sent to ST holders at the start of each season.

The method of distribution is based on previous applications for away tickets. All applications are supposedly logged on the Club's database, and tickets are distributed in order of attendance from those applications received by the closing date. For example an allocation of 1,000 tickets would go to the 1,000 applications received from those with the best attendance records at away games in previous seasons.

There are exceptions to this: a small number of tickets are always available to those travelling on the official club transport - in theory you could be a member of this scheme and go to every match without being a season ticket holder. However you can only purchase a package consisting of ticket for the match and travel together. 

Platinum club ticket holders also have some sort of priority when it comes to away tickets, but in common with the policy for corporate tickets, details of their allocation aren't disclosed.  

The Reserve team: 

For season 2007-08 Newcastle have entered a reserve side in the Premier Reserve League (North) - a ten-team competition for Premiership clubs only. 

Confirmation is awaited as to which clubs will feature in this league.

No confirmation of a reserve team venue has yet been publicised.

Admission to reserve games is free for current season ticket-holders on production of their season ticket book, or else pay on the gate.

The Youth Academy:

For season 2007-08, Newcastle have entered an U18 side in the Premier Academy league.

Home Academy Games:

These are played at our Academy base at Little Benton, just off Coach Lane (entrance down private road off Greenlee Drive). Admission is free and open to all. See Academy section of NUFC.com for fixtures.

The club also enter a team each season in the FA Youth Cup, a competition played to the same rules as the proper FA Cup (apart from the final now being contested on a home and away two leg basis.) The age limit for this competition is U18.

Club Museum

A club museum has now been established at SJP and the entrance is at the South West corner of the ground. Opening hours are 9.30am to 4pm (last admission) on Mondays to Saturdays and 11am to 4pm (last admission) on Sundays. Note that opening times are subject to alteration on matchdays.

Seeing the Team Train  

The Newcastle United Training Centre aka first team training ground is at Darsley Park on the A191 Whitley Road, (formerly the Civil Service sports ground adjacent to Whitley Park.)

Please note that there is no public access to this site and no convenient viewing point for spectators. Security staff have instructions not to allow fans onto the site.

Directions for St James Park 

Want a map?: click here

By Tyne and Wear Metro 

Nearest station is St. James.  Come out of the station, and look behind you. To be honest you may as well walk. If coming from the airport, alight at Haymarket or Monument Stations and follow the crowds.   

Here's a map of the Metro network

NB: Do not get on a metro at the Central Station that says St James - it goes via the Coast and takes about an hour ! If you cannot walk, you need to change at Monument for a metro running the short distance (one stop) to the football ground.

By British Rail 

Nearest station is Newcastle Central -a 15 minute walk as follows:
 
Direct route - Come out of the station and cross the street in front of you, and up the alley to the left of the bakers. This take you past a pub called The Forth and brings you out on Clayton Street. Cross straight over and continue up the final section of the alley. You are now on Westgate Road.

To your right is a paper shop and immediately past it is a paved walkway (complete with odd-shaped ornamental metal cone) which stretches up the hill - at the top of this you will be able to see the ground to your right. Either continue towards the ground or deviate right, which is Stowell Street - home of the local Chinese community and numerous fine eating establishments.

NB: For certain games - mackems, smogs, Man U, this route to and from the ground is not always the prettiest and at some points may be hazardous for those obviously wearing opposition colours. Be warned. 

Route via the City Centre -  Come out of the station and cross the street in front of you, turn right and then next left up Grainger Street.  After a few minutes walk you should be in a square with a Nelson's Column type monument in the centre - that's Grey's Monument that is (pictured). 

Turn left up Blackett Street, through the 'tunnel' and straight across the roundabout (turning right at the roundabout up Percy Street takes you to a variety of pubs) up Gallowgate and St James' Park will be clearly visible to your right.

Away supporters are housed in the North West corner, following the direct route above brings you to the South West side of the ground (or South East if via City Centre).

Continue to walk along the road that winds along to the ground and then walk underneath the new offices/stand with the ground on your right. The away turnstiles are past the main entrance at the top of the incline.

Away buses / coaches tend to park immediately to the North of this point. 

By Road

(Given the size of the reconstructed ground and its dominant position on the Newcastle skyline, you shouldn't have any bother spotting the damn thing from a wide area)

The following directions are what TheAA.com suggest (m=miles):

From the South: 

We'll assume you can get this far....

A1(M) WASHINGTON SERVICE AREA
Travelodge (Washington North)

0.7m A1(M) Junction 65 (A194(M))
Take left hand lanes (signposted Newcastle, Gateshead)

0.3m A1 End of Motorway
Forward A1

4.8m A184 Junction with A184
Branch left to join A184 (signposted Newcastle, Gateshead)

1.1m A189 Junction with A189
Take right hand lane to join A189 then cross

0.2m A189 Redheugh Bridge
Keep forward (signposted City Centre)

0.5m A189 Wakenshaw V.C Junction
At traffic signals forward

0.2m A189 Hadrian's Wall Junction
At traffic signals forward

0.1m A189 Milburn Junction
At traffic signals forward

0.1m A189 Gallowgate
At roundabout take 1st exit

0.1m A189 Arrive at Newcastle United Football Club (St James's Park)

By Road from West: 

We'll assume you can get this far....

A69/A1 Roundabout (basically the 1st roundabout once you reach Newcastle)
Follow signs A1 North

11.8m A1 Junction with A1/A186
At roundabout take 1st exit (signposted Morpeth) to join A1

0.9m B6324 Junction with B6324
Branch left (signposted City (West) and at roundabout take 3rd exit B6324 In 0.3 mile at "Pooley Road Roundabout" forward

0.7m B6324 Silver Lonnen Roundabout
Take 2nd exit (signposted City Centre) In 0.4 mile at roundabout take 1st exit

0.5m A167 Cowgate Roundabout
Take 2nd exit A167

0.7m A189 Junction with A189
Branch left (signposted City West) At traffic signals turn right A189 and at next traffic signals forward

0.4m A189 Junction with Fenham Hall Drive
At traffic signals forward (signposted City Centre, Gateshead via Redheugh Bridge)

0.3m A189 Hunters Moor
At traffic signals forward In 0.5 mile at roundabout take 1st exit

0.7m A189 Arrive at Newcastle United Football Club (St James's Park)

By Road from North:

We'll assume you can get this far....

A1 (signposted Gateshead)

A167 Junction with A167/A696/B6918
Branch left (signposted City Centre) and at roundabout take 1st exit A167

0.3m A167 Kenton Bar ("Crofters Lodge" public house)
At roundabout take 2nd exit In 0.3 mile at roundabout take 2nd exit

0.6m A167 Springfield Roundabout
Take 2nd exit

0.4m A167 Cowgate Roundabout
Take 1st exit

0.7m A189 Junction with A189
Branch left (signposted City West) At traffic signals turn right A189 and at next traffic signals forward

0.4m A189 Junction with Fenham Hall Drive
At traffic signals forward (signposted City Centre, Gateshead via Redheugh Bridge)

0.3m A189 Hunters Moor
At traffic signals forward In 0.5 mile at roundabout take 1st exit

0.7m A189 Arrive at Newcastle United Football Club (St James's Park)

Parking at the Ground:

None, save for a couple of pay and display ones next to the Metro station and Strawberry pub.

Like most British cities, on-street parking is available round the edge of the centre, but the threat of car crime and changing parking rules is an ever-present one.

Parking Suggestions:

Near the Arena/Life Centre, to the east of the Railway Station (limited).

Off the Westgate Road - North end and to East off St.James' boulevard (limited).

Past the Royal Victoria Infirmary beside the University/Exhibition Park.

At the Railway Station itself (limited space and expensive).

Multi-storey car parks on Dean Street and near Haymarket bus station.

Park and ride via the metro from various stations, including Four Lane Ends and Callerton Parkway (near the airport).

There are car parks at the ground - however they are strictly for permit holders and there's no pay on the day public access to them. Note that traffic wardens have periodic blitzes on cars parked on Barrack Road up past the ground and towards the BBC buildings.

Food & Drink  

Frankly if you require directions to either in this town, then you shouldn't be out on your own....

You may occasionally find the genial hosts of NUFC.com stuffing their faces at the excellent Marco Polo Italian Restaurant on Dean Street - but don't let that put you off: http://www.marcopolonewcastle.com/

Accommodation  

The usual hotel chains can be found in the city and surrounding areas, including out by the airport and in Jesmond. B&Bs are also available at the coast in Whitley Bay.

Suggestions:

http://www.premiertravelinn.com (8 in the area including Gateshead)
http://www.travelodge.co.uk (5 in the area including Gateshead)
http://www.smoothhound.co.uk (look under Tyne and Wear and Northumberland)
http://www.laterooms.com (look under North East England)

For cottage breaks try: cottages4you 

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