Fired-up Toon just the ticket

SIMON BIRD

BY

NEWCASTLE have seen 30,000 fans logging on in the hope of landing one of 1,000 new season tickets.

The club yesterday announced the release of the seats for the next campaign, which starts against Nottingham Forest at St James’ Park on August 6.

They will be sold from 10am on Tuesday, but 30,000 club members queued up virtually to get into accounts and find out if they were eligible.

Boss Eddie Howe (above) and his players start pre-season training next month having fired up Tyneside with 12 wins in 18 games at the end of last term to finish in 11th place.

Before the Saudi-funded buy-out in October, fans were deserting the club. In December 2019, 10,000 season tickets were given for free to existing holders to ensure the ground looked full when on TV.

But demand is now back to the peak of the early 1990s when Kevin Keegan was in charge and every game was a sell-out.

Newcastle will have almost 40,000 season-ticket holders for a 52,000 capacity stadium, raising the question of whether a new or extended ground will be needed if their vast spending power delivers success domestically and in Europe.