Newcastle United braced for magic PSR boost as stunning ticket sales revealed

Eddie Howe’s side know that a win at the Amex Stadium, something they haven’t done in the Premier League, is essential in the race for Champions League qualification. With games against Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton to follow this weekend’s trip to the south coast, the Magpies have a very tough end to the season.

However, if they are able to secure Champions League football by the time the curtain comes down on the 2024/25 season, then they will head into the summer window full of hope and confidence that they can have a transformative few months. After a very quiet 18 months on the transfer front, the Magpies now have more PSR headroom to work with and can spend big this summer - although that will of course be tempered by who they are able to attract and with future windows in mind.

The sales of Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly have given them more money to play with when the summer window opens, whilst an increase in commercial revenue will also help. And events like the Magic Weekend, which will be held at St James’ Park on Saturday and Sunday, will also help raise what the Magpies are able to spend on transfers.

Magic Weekend back at St James’ Park

After a year’s hiatus, one that saw the two-day Super League event head to Elland Road in August, the Magic Weekend is back at St James’ Park. All twelve Super League teams will play over the two days, with three games on Saturday and three games on Sunday to take place on the St James’ Park turf.

In what is a highlight of the Super League calendar, fans from all over the country and France will head to Tyneside to watch their team in action. The local economy will of course be boosted by an influx of people to the area, with restaurants, bars and pubs across the city braced for a big weekend.

Newcastle United, meanwhile, will also hope they can boost their coffers by staging the event and, unlike in 2023 when the Magic Weekend was last hosted on Tyneside, they now have St James’ Park STACK to welcome visitors to. In previous years when the Magic Weekend was hosted in Newcastle, that area of the town was reserved for a fan zone, or even left derelict at times.

Well in excess of 60,000 tickets have been sold for this weekend’s action which gets underway at 3pm on Saturday when Leigh Leopards take on the Catalan Dragons. Hull KR and Salford Red Devils then meet in the day’s middle game (5:15pm kick-off) before the day is rounded off with a clash between St Helens and Leeds Rhinos at 7:30pm.

Sunday gets going slightly earlier with Huddersfield Giants, who are winless this season but possess a better record at Magic Weekends than any other Super League side, taking on Hull FC at 1pm. Wigan Warriors v Warrington Wolves kicks-off at 3:15pm before the weekend concludes with a clash between Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Trinity (5:30pm kick-off).

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