St. James' Park: Guide for Visiting Fans

The Tyne & Wear Metro is your best friend here. St James' Metro Station is situated directly outside the stadium , making it essentially a walk-off-the-train-and-into-the-ground experience. Monument Metro Station is also a five-minute walk from the stadium, where both the Yellow and Green lines stop — so either station works depending on your direction of travel.

Flying in? The journey from Newcastle Airport (NCL) to Newcastle City Centre — Haymarket, Monument, or Central Station — takes around 25 minutes on the Metro. The Metro departs every 12–15 minutes, except on Sundays before 9am where it runs every 30 minutes. You'll want the Green Metro route in the direction of Newcastle Airport / City Centre.

If you're arriving by mainline rail, Newcastle Central Station is around a 10-minute walk from the stadium. There are direct trains from Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Bristol to Newcastle. For rideshare, drop-offs along Barrack Road or Percy Street are your best bet — the ground's city-centre location means Uber and similar apps work well, though expect surge pricing post-match.

Bluntly: don't plan on parking near the ground. There are no car parks at the stadium and traffic restrictions are often in place on matchdays. The city-centre setting means on-street parking is almost nonexistent within reasonable range.

Your realistic options: Eldon Square Car Park is one of the closest options, just 5–7 minutes' walk away, situated in the Eldon Square shopping mall. Newcastle College parking has approximately 400 spaces but is subject to availability and roughly a 20-minute walk from the stadium.

If you're driving from further afield, the smart play is the Park & Ride. The best option is to use the park-and-ride services from Newcastle Great Park (near Newcastle Racecourse) or the MetroCentre — buses are numbered X50, run from two hours before kickoff until 15 minutes before the game starts, with adults priced at £2 return, and there is no charge to park your car. That's genuinely one of the best-value matchday deals in English football.

The ground is in the city centre, which means you have the entire city on your doorstep. For convenience and walkability, anything in the Haymarket, Gallowgate, or City Centre core puts you within a 10-minute walk of the stadium and a short stagger from Newcastle's famous nightlife.

Located directly opposite the stadium, Sandman Signature Hotel offers contemporary accommodation with lively on-site dining, including the popular sports bar Shark Club — genuinely useful on matchday. For something with more character and quayside atmosphere, INNSiDE by Meliá on Newcastle's Quayside offers a stylish, contemporary retreat with stunning river views , though it's a 15–20 minute walk to the ground. Budget travellers will find Premier Inns and Ibis options scattered around the city centre for under £80 a night on most fixtures. Book early for big games — Newcastle sells out.

The Trent House — A well-loved local boozer on Leazes Lane, serving cold pints and signature toasties with the soundtrack from a free jukebox. It's a nine-minute walk to the stadium and is consistently cited as one of the most away-fan-friendly pubs in the area. Low-key, no frills, very good.

The Head of Steam / Newcastle Tap — Away fans looking for alternatives near the train station often head to The Head of Steam or The Newcastle Tap, both solid options with good beer selections. Ideal if you're rolling in on the mainline with a bag of crisps and an hour to kill.

Shearer's Bar — Sitting at the Gallowgate End of St. James' Park itself, Shearer's Bar is open to both home and away fans and is a convenient matchday spot in the heart of the city. It has over 50 large screens showing all major televised sporting events. It's loud, it's packed, and yes, it's a little corporate — but it's also directly under the stadium, which is hard to argue with.

Blackfriars Restaurant — For something worth planning around rather than stumbling into, Blackfriars provides a refined but unpretentious experience, set in a historic 13th-century friary and specialising in top-quality British cuisine. A short walk from the ground, it's the kind of pre-match meal that makes an away trip feel like a proper occasion.

A word on STACK: STACK opened in 2024 just outside St. James' Park and operates primarily as a fan zone for Newcastle United fans — away fans are not advised to enter on match weekends.

Keep it simple: you can bring a bag, but no bags larger than A4 size are permitted into the stadium. There is no bag storage at the ground , so if you're arriving with a weekend bag, sort that out before matchday — luggage storage is available near Newcastle Central Station.

Visiting supporters normally enter via turnstiles 91–94 in the Leazes Stand, which open 90 minutes before kickoff. Fans will be searched on entry. Give yourself time — the surrounding streets get congested quickly and stewards are thorough. Flags and banners are not permitted in the visitors' section. The stadium is fully cashless, so card or contactless payment is required for everything inside — food, drinks, merchandise.

There are around 234 wheelchair spaces available across all four stands. Visiting supporters have 12 wheelchair spaces available in the Upper Level 7 of the Leazes Stand. Wheelchair users can access the stadium via step-free routes, lifts, and ramps, with entrances located close to designated drop-off points. Lift access is available in the Milburn, Gallowgate, and Leazes stands.

Visually impaired fans have 24 seats available with commentary delivered through an infrared system. A Quiet Viewing Area offers a calm space for supporters with sensory processing difficulties, providing an exceptional view of the pitch from behind soundproof glass. Personal assistants and carers also enter free of charge. For specific queries, the club runs a dedicated accessibility email at accessibility@nufc.co.uk.

The Leazes End houses around 3,000 away fans on a matchday. Away fans are allocated seats within the Leazes Stand at the Northern goal end. You're up high — genuinely high. There are 140 steps and 14 landings on the way up to the away section. The views are actually fine from up there once your legs stop burning, but the lower rows are preferable.

If you can, aim for the LL7M–LL7H rows, as these are in the lower tier of the away section. You'll be closer to the pitch, the sightlines are better, and you won't feel quite so vertically separated from the action. The upper tier can feel slightly disconnected from the game when the home end is in full voice. One thing worth knowing: the Leazes End is directly opposite the Gallowgate — the loudest home section — so you'll hear them clearly, which is either exhilarating or nerve-wracking depending on the scoreline.

Newcastle is one of those places where the away experience is actually part of the experience. Newcastle is one of the most welcoming football cities in the country, and matchday around St. James' Park reflects that — away fans are generally admitted into most pubs near the ground, provided behaviour is respectful. The crowd is ferociously loud — the steep stands surrounding the pitch provide excellent sightlines from every seat and also serve to trap the noise in a way that genuinely gets under your skin. What you won't find in any guide: the moment the Toon Army starts "The Blaydon Races" in the Leazes End minutes before kickoff, bouncing in unison, is one of the more visceral sounds in English football. It's not directed at you — it's just Newcastle being Newcastle. Respect it.

Metro: This is the move. St James' Metro serves those travelling toward coastal destinations , and Monument catches the rest. The system handles post-match crowds well, but the platforms fill quickly. Wait 15–20 minutes after the final whistle, let the first two Metro waves clear, then walk to either St James' or Monument (Monument is often slightly less crushed). Trains run regularly and the service is reliable.

Driving: If you parked at Eldon Square or a city-centre multi-storey, add 30–45 minutes to your exit time for a big match. The streets around Barrack Road and Gallowgate back up immediately. Your best bet: stay in the pub for a post-match drink and let the traffic thin out for 40 minutes before heading to your car. Getting to the A1 northbound is generally quicker than south toward the A184 immediately post-match.

Rideshare: Surge pricing will kick in on the apps. Walk 10–15 minutes east toward the Haymarket area or south toward the Central Station — prices will drop noticeably once you're away from the immediate stadium footprint. Don't order from Strawberry Place or directly on Barrack Road unless you enjoy watching a surge multiplier climb in real time.

Opinionated tip: Take the Metro. There is genuinely no good reason not to — the city-centre location was built for it, and you'll be home (or in a post-match bar) before drivers have cleared the first junction.

What is the nearest Metro station to St. James' Park?

St James' Metro Station is directly outside the stadium. Monument Station is also nearby, within a five-minute walk.

How far is Newcastle Airport from the stadium?

The Metro journey from Newcastle Airport to the city centre (Monument/Haymarket) takes around 25 minutes , followed by a short walk or one-stop Metro ride to the ground. Budget about 40–45 minutes total from the terminal.

What is the bag policy at St. James' Park?

You can bring a bag, but no bags larger than A4 size are permitted. There is no bag storage at the ground , so travel light or store luggage near the train station beforehand.

Where do away fans sit at St. James' Park?

The away section is located in the Leazes End (north stand), accessible by turnstiles 89–94. It holds around 3,000 visiting supporters. Aim for the lower rows if you can — it's a steep climb to the top.

What time do gates open?

Turnstiles in all areas of the stadium open 90 minutes before kickoff.

Is St. James' Park cashless?

Yes, the stadium is fully cashless — card or contactless payment is required for all food, drink, and merchandise inside the ground.

Is there parking at St. James' Park?

There are no car parks at the stadium and matchday restrictions are usually in place. Use the Park & Ride from Newcastle Great Park or the MetroCentre, or a city-centre multi-storey like Eldon Square.

Are away fans welcome in the pubs near the ground?

Newcastle fans are generally welcoming to visitors, and bars located at or near the stadium — such as Shearer's Bar or the Strawberry — will generally admit away fans, providing you behave. Cover your colours to be safe in most other pubs near the ground.