Premier League giant was forced to scrap plans to build stadium dubbed ‘San Siro of the north’

Newcastle once had plans to build one of the biggest stadiums in Europe that was dubbed the 'San Siro of the North'.

Local opposition to the plans thwarted the Magpies' attempts in 1997 to build the stadium, which could have held as many as 70,000 fans.

That would have seen the club have bigger grounds than Anfield, the Emirates and the London Stadium.

But Newcastle were foiled by various local groups, who shut down any further action with the help of local residents.

The club had planned to spend £90million on constructing a new stadium at Castle Leazes Moor.

It would have seen St James' Park converted into a massive leisure complex with an indoor arena and running track.

But pressure groups such as Friends of the Earth and local campaigners like No Business on the Moor managed to collect a petition of 36,000 signatures opposing the scheme.

It meant that Newcastle would have faced a lengthy, and expensive, public inquiry, forcing a rethink.

In November 1997, the club submitted alternative plans to upgrade and extend St James' Park instead.

Newcastle's former chairman Sir John Hall had dreamt of a new home for his old club, dubbed the 'San Siro of the North'.

The plans would have seen a three-tiered stadium with a bowl shape, mirroring the iconic ground in Milan.

With a 70,000-seat capacity, it would have been one of the most impressive stadiums in the world.

Newcastle had finished the season as Premier League runners-up and then-chairman Hall wanted to see his beloved club become a powerhouse in Europe.

«We looked everywhere. The Council eventually stepped in to say we couldn't move from the City but we looked all around the place,» Hall told the Chronicle in 2020.

«We looked around at where the hell we could build a new stadium