Clubs and their stadiums grow organically around the communities that built them. The likes of St James', Bramall Lane, and Celtic Park are at the heart of their fanbase, designed for - and often by - supporters. However, with modern stadiums typically more concerned with profit margins, hospitality sections, and global appeal, that vital link to community begins to erode.
Clubs and their stadiums grow organically around the communities that built them
The announcement of Newcastle United's move away from St. James' is barely two months old, but fans are already voicing their misgivings on social media. "St James was our home, our heritage, our everything", said one fan on Twitter, while another remarked "I don't want some Saudi fish bowl elsewhere, purely so they can sportswash". Geordie fears are nothing if not warranted, with the story of one fanbase in East London setting a worrying precedent.
West Ham United's relocation from the Boleyn to London's Olympic Stadium was, in theory, perfect. While clubs today 'umm and aaa' about the costs of building new grounds, the Hammers had a brand new 65,000-seater stadium drop on their heads for essentially nothing. As the cockney side left their historic home, though, they left behind their soul.
Undoubtedly a stellar business decision by West Ham, the move to Stratford facilitated enormous revenue increases of £23m, alongside the club's first major European honour. Matchday experiences, however, are anything but stellar, and atmospheres in the former athletics ground have been nothing compared to Upton Park's roar. Mitchell, Newcastle Uni intramural's 'streets won't forget' baller and Irons fan, contrasts the Boleyn's "recognisable territory" with the "sanitised and corporate" London Stadium; he's not alone.
This place is soulless (...) It's got nothing
Tom Girling, The Guardian
Mitch's worries are echoed by fellow Hammer Tom Girling in an interview with The Guardian. "This place is soulless (...) It's got nothing". Spearheaded by the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Declan Rice, a new era of West Ham heroes has risen in the London Stadium era, but will always feel that little bit empty to supporters who grew up watching Bobby Moore or Paulo Di Canio at the Boleyn. Such a feeling of footballing nihlism awaits the likes of Everton and Manchester United, if they aren't careful.
The Goodison and Old Trafford faithful now face a similar battle as they leave home. While leaky roofs and rusty structures mean change is needed, fans may soon find that their new surroundings are nothing but a poisoned chalice. Fans across the UK are already feeling the pinch, with ticket prices rising by as much as 800% since 1990, but the rise of new stadiums and their enormous hospitality sections will no doubt see this exacerbated.
Football culture, built by decades of working-class struggle and graft, is of course hardly a consideration by owners such as Jim Ratcliffe and the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The latter has undoubtedly brought Newcastle fans immense success, but looks set to wipe a century of Geordie history from the map in favour of its sportswashing agenda. Without any genuine fan consultation, beyond meaningless surveys, the Saudi state is moulding one of Britain's most historic clubs into "a billboard for one of the world's most authoritarian regimes", to quote NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing.
The PIF is docking its very own Ship of Theseus on the Tyne
The PIF is docking its very own Ship of Theseus on the Tyne, stripping NUFC of its home, its badge, and its pride in favour of Saudi-coloured kits, higher prices, and more profit. It's not a unique story; many fanbases have been sacrificed at the whim of their billionaire owners, but none so sinisterly as the Mags. Consistent European football awaits Newcastle, but will leave Geordies considered secondary to Saudi Arabia's grand plan to see its bombardment of Yemen forgotten under the shroud of footballing success.
If the last decade of English football has shown us anything, it's that our culture is incredibly brittle. Though the defeat of the planned European Super League project proved fans still hold power, attacks on the sport's soul have continued largely unchallenged since. Whether in the interests of profit or public relations for dictatorships, supporters across the country are being gaslit, manipulated and abused by those who sit in the boardrooms. The game is still beautiful but, as more and more owners relegate atmosphere and culture to an afterthought, it risks a lifeless future.