Confident Hogan pressing ahead with Big Game plans

BIGGER gates allied to a fine start to the season have prompted Newcastle to advance plans to host an annual ‘Big Game’ at nearby St James’ Park.

Managing director Mick Hogan feels sixth-placed Falcons have assembled their best side in a decade and is convinced they can follow the Harlequins model by attracting huge numbers to the 52,000capacity home of Newcastle United FC. Hogan told The Rugby

Paper: “Our crowds are 18.3 per cent up on the first three games last season and we’ve had our best start in years. There’s confidence through the club and in November we hope to have our first sell-out in over eight years.

“A match at St James’ Park is something we definitely want to look at now. It can’t be this season but it’s something we’ll plan for future seasons and I’m completely confident that if we did put a game on there it would be a massive success.

“We might not fill it initially but, with the right opposition, we could certainly attract 25,000-30,000 to start with. Then, as we’ve seen with Harlequins at Twickenham, it’s something you can build over time as a regular event in the calendar.”

Newcastle are spicing up their matchdays by offering free curry after every match and are aiming to sell-out next month’s clash with Exeter.

Hogan added: “Our last sell-out was against Wasps in May 2008 but we hope to do that in our Friday night game against the Chiefs. We’re opening a new 1877 bar and there’s free curry for fans after every game now... win, lose or draw.

“This is the best squad we’ve had in 10 years, I genuinely believe that, and we’re aiming for our first top half Premiership finish since 2002.”