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We're now exactly three years on from the Newcastle United takeover but the jury remains out over just how much progress the football club has made since Mike Ashley handed over the keys to St James' Park. Yet, it is the imminent decision over the aforementioned stadium that will define how the football clubs looks a further three years down the line - and long into the future.

St James' Park is adored by all who cross its threshold but in the world of profit and sustainability regulations, maximising revenue streams is the one of, if not the, most important factor for a Premier League side to grow - both on and off the pitch. And a bigger, lavish stadium will certainly do the trick when it comes to supercharging Newcastle's profits.

Tottenham Hotspur and Everton are just two top flight sides who have taken the plunge with new grounds in recent seasons, while Manchester United are also on the hunt to build the 'Wembley of the north' in the near future. Newcastle, who have been flooded with demand for tickets in the last three years, saw their matchday income increased by £10.4m (38%) from £27.5m to £37.9m in their 2023 accounts.

For comparison, Tottenham, and their state-of-the-art stadium built back in 2019, registered over £100m in matchday revenue in the same season, up from a meagre £45m during their last season at White Hart Lane.

As well as acting as Tottenham's home ground, the 62,000+ stadium has also hosted NFL matches, Lady Gaga concerts and heavyweight boxing clashes in recent years, while an upgrade in catering is said to now pocket just shy of £1million per season at Spurs' home games.

Of course, opting to move to a new stadium has its issues, namely finding an appropriate site to locate such an ambitious project. Preference is overwhelmingly to stay in the city centre but well-documented issues over Leazes Terrace remain at that front too.

Knocking down and rebuilding St James' Park is an equally tricky task but club chiefs last week broke their silence to confirm a decision was expected in the coming months. Whether the verdict is to stick, or to twist, it will be the biggest decision the Newcastle hierarchy have had to make in the three years since taking the helm.

Of course, the task has been made more difficult by Chief Executive Officer, Darren Eales, announcing his intention to step down in the coming months. However, with a new, 'best in class' CEO expected to be named shortly, that particular issue will be rectified sooner than later.

After a summer of upheaval which saw sporting director Dan Ashworth replaced and key ownership figures in Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi depart, a period of calm and quiet would be beneficial for Newcastle. However, the final decision on St James' Park promises to spark a response that is anything but peaceful - whichever way the pendulum swings.