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Newcastle have taken a significant step closer to announcing the development of a new training ground and Confidential can reveal the surprise site that has emerged as the frontrunner.
We understand club chiefs have visited land in Seaton Burn, close to the Holiday Inn roundabout and the meeting point of the A1 and A19, eight miles north of the city centre.
Sources say this is now the favoured location for the state-of-the-art training base that will be designed by world-renowned architects Populous.
Chief operating officer Brad Miller is leading the project and an offer was made on another plot earlier this year. The club walked away after the costing increased late in the process. Land near Woolsington and Ponteland has been explored, as well as close to Newcastle Racecourse.
But there is said to be confidence over progress on the Seaton Burn site and its suitability at meeting the club’s needs. Transport links are among the chief priorities, especially for academy players and their families, and the area is well served by roads and buses.
When an announcement is made, it is said the drawings will be spectacular and there is excitement around the collaboration with Populous. Tyneside-based architects FaulknerBrowns could also assist in the project.
Newcastle have hired Populous to design their state-of-the-art training facility (pictured here: the firm's plans for QPR's training ground, which are still showcased on their website)
The club hope to create a state-of-the-art facility that can rival the elite clubs
US-based Populous, with offices in the UK and Australia, were the architects behind the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the impressive Real Madrid Sports City, the training base that houses the senior and youth teams of the Spanish giants. Newcastle’s new chief executive David Hopkinson, formerly of Real Madrid, is well aware of the workings of that facility.
The plan is to build a training ground that is the envy of the Premier League and helps the club attract and develop the world’s best players. The current base in North Tyneside has been drastically improved since the Saudi takeover but is still way behind the facilities at the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal.
Sources have indicated that the plans will likely include indoor and outdoor pitches, a mini stadium, accommodation options, a media suite, cinema room for presentations and spa-like facilities.
Completion is still several years away, but an announcement of the ambitious plans this side of Christmas is possible should the Seaton Burn site be confirmed. Club sources say other plots are also still under consideration.
Botman's Dutch dilemma
Sven Botman’s brilliant form is sure to win him a belated debut for the Netherlands, but there has been no indication that will come during this international break.
National team boss Ronald Koeman could yet spring a surprise when he names his squad on Friday, but we understand the expectation is that Botman will remain on Tyneside.
While Eddie Howe wants his centre back to earn the international recognition he deserves, there will also be relief that he is afforded a rest after an intense period. Botman has started the last four Newcastle matches, something he last did two seasons ago before suffering a knee injury that kept him out for nine months.
But as we have seen in recent weeks, the 25-year-old is playing better than ever and his presence has moved Dan Burn - also in excellent form - back to left back.
Sven Botman has previously trained with the Dutch national team, such as here in March 2023, but he has yet to make his senior debut
Botman has been in superb form for his club in both the Premier League and Champions League this season
Botman faces stiff competition with Netherlands, who have Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake, Stefan de Vrij, Micky van de Ven, Matthijs de Ligt and Jan Paul van Hecke as options at centre back. But Koeman won’t be able to ignore him for much longer if he continues to impress in the Premier League and Champions League.
Meanwhile, fellow Newcastle centre back Malick Thiaw has not been named in the Germany squad, which includes Nick Woltemade. Again, Howe will take some comfort from that, given Thiaw has also started the last four alongside Botman after spending the early weeks of the season on the bench following his arrival from Milan.
Tuchel's loving Big Dan
Burn’s return to left back in recent matches, as mentioned above, is not set to harm his England prospects.
Indeed, we understand Thomas Tuchel fully intends to take the Newcastle star to the World Cup next summer, so taken has he been by him on and off the pitch.
Tuchel believes the World Cup in the heat of North America will see a lot of matches labour towards low scorelines entering the final half-hour - and he wants Burn as an option from set-pieces, even if that is from the bench. Call it NFL special teams!
The wheeze behind wing wizardry
The form of Newcastle’s wingers has been the subject of much debate in recent weeks, and they responded in fine fashion during Wednesday’s 4-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium.
Anthony Elanga was named as the official man of the match, while Anthony Gordon put away two penalties and Harvey Barnes scored late on to record the first Champions League points of the campaign.
Anthony Elanga (right) and Anthony Gordon (second right) were both bang in form in Brussels on Wednesday night
And fellow wingers Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy are also right beside them in the dressing room
And we can reveal the dressing-room move that could bring the widemen closer together, quite literally.
New signing Elanga chose to change his spot in the St James’ Park locker room on the eve of the season, meaning he, Gordon, Barnes and Jacob Murphy now sit next to each other on the same row.
As a quartet, Newcastle’s success is dependent on their output in terms of goals and assists, so any marginal gains will be welcomed by management.
Hands off, Nick!
Gordon will NOT be giving up his newfound status as Newcastle’s penalty taker, despite the wish of Woltemade to take them.
The big German had to be talked down by team-mates as he attempted to take responsibility before Gordon buried both of his spot-kicks in Belgium.
But the England winger said: ‘I don’t mind! A striker should want to take them, but I’ve won too many and not taken them at Newcastle to give it up now. Now Alex (Isak) is gone, penalties are mine!’
Gordon is keen to hold on to his status as penalty-taker after converting a pair of spot-kicks against Union Saint-Gilloise
Nick Woltemade was keen to take the penalties off Gordon, but he still got on the scoresheet as Toon ran riot
A few Belgian bloopers
Newcastle fans arriving in Brussels this week were shocked to learn that their Airbnb accommodation had been cancelled at the last minute.
A variety of reasons were given - from flooding to bed bugs to being double booked. The truth, it would appear, is that hosts were cancelling bookings and then taking more money given the demand for rooms.
One fan, speaking to Confidential, said that his friend rebooked the same apartment in a different name at a higher price within an hour of their room being cancelled.
But all told, it was a trip that passed off without incident. At least, that was, until a cyber-attack at Brussels Airport on Thursday morning saw flights delayed and onward connections become very tight.
I saw one Newcastle fan, albeit with the aid of a pedestrian travelator, moving quicker than Elanga through Amsterdam Airport!
Early birds catch the win
Eddie Howe and his players had no such problems as their travel itinerary ran smoothly, unlike ahead of the opening group game in Milan two seasons ago.
A plane delay then meant they turned up late for the pre-match press conference, much to the ire of us journalists who were sat in a stuffy media room for two hours. The club was later fined by UEFA.
They also chose not to train at the San Siro, which felt like a mistake at the time and has since been recognised as such by those on the inside, after a 0-0 draw proved costly in the final standings.
This time, though, it was the perfect trip, from travel to pre-match preparations at Lotto Park to the result at the end of it all. One staff member saw the funny side when the team landed ahead of the press pack on Tuesday… ‘We’re here, where are you?!’ they quipped.
It was the perfect trip for all on Wednesday night as Newcastle picked up their first points of the Champions League campaign
Bam, Stoker!
Another lighter moment ahead of the Arsenal game on Sunday… when backroom member Neil Stoker was clattered by a football.
Much to the amusement of John Ruddy, the ball rebounded after the goalkeeper made a save from Gordon during the warm-up and landed on Stoker’s head.
At least the victim of the ricochet saw the funny side!
Yet more Arsenal aggro
There were no such laughs after full time, when several confrontations threatened to boil over on the touchline.
In a shock development, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta calmed Joelinton after the Brazilian clashed with a member of the visiting backroom team.
And that was not the end of it - we can reveal that another Gunners staffer attempted to pick a row with a Newcastle groundsman before club security stepped in and ushered the Arsenal man away.
Given the popular and long-serving Newcastle employee was holding a pitchfork at the time, he showed great restraint in prodding the grass and not his adversary!
It was a physical battle against Arsenal last Sunday, and Joelinton was at the heart of it all as ever!
Toon Teaser
It’s Toon Teaser time! Last week, was asked you to name the FOUR players who have scored 10 goals or more for Newcastle United in European competition.
They were Alan Shearer, Shola Ameobi, Craig Bellamy and Wyn Davies.
This week’s puzzler… Nick Woltemade became only the second Newcastle player with a surname beginning in ‘W’ to score for the club in Europe.
Can you name the other player and the match in which they did so? Clue, there is some symmetry…
