Seeing a modernised St James' Park was once the dream of former co-owners Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi.

During the first few months in charge as Newcastle United directors, there was plenty talk about what PIF could do with their architects and how feasible an increase in capacity would be. It would take a couple of years to get a feasibility report together but that is now believed to be completed.

As Chronicle Live reported on December 28 last year, insiders are understood to have been shown exciting early drafts on what a revamped St James' and a new stadium elsewhere could look like. The images are not for public consumption at this stage but those behind the scenes are getting braced for the announcement which is set to take place in spring.

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We also reported earlier this month that two potential capacities have been put to the board members Staveley and Ghodoussi left behind in the summer. One to stay at St James' Park at 60,000 and another at around 70,000 on a new site.

The preference for Staveley and her partner was to stay on Barrack Road, echoing the vast majority of supporters at the time. Back in 2022 they told the New York Times: "St James’ Park is unique, special, the cathedral of the city, sitting on its hill. We will definitely look at expanding it, working with the city and council to see what we can do.

"There are a lot of things that need to happen first, but that’s the way forward. If we can get it to 60 or 65,000 thousand, amazing, and we will look at every possibility. But are we going to build a new stadium? No. It would be like tearing your soul out."

Things have moved on since that interview but the prospect of staying at St James' Park seems an option. When COO Brad Miller once spoke about "two options" of staying or moving close by, the majority of a 3,000 crowd at the STACK's fan event last November seemed to favour a move.

Since then, there has been talk of breathtaking images being presented to club chiefs, and the love to keep St James' Park exactly where it is remains an option for many. One season ticket holder, who did not want to be named, told Chronicle Live: "Why would we want to move from St James'? OK, there would be more seats, but we'd lose something huge by switching to a modernised bowl."

He then added: "I still get goosebumps walking to the ground from the Newcastle Arms or the Irish Club, I really do and I've been going for close to four decades. If we can expand on what we have, I'm all for it and I know loads of others who feel the same way. I can't wait to see what the club's plans are but if the STACK is anything to go off, it should be special."

But club chiefs know that this is a big move, or as Miller put it a "once in a lifetime opportunity" and one that the club need to get right. The images that have been shared behind the scenes will soon become available for public consumption, via the fan advisory board first and then the wider fanbase.

Any opportunity to stay at St James' Park would see Staveley, who still follows the club, get her wish. If fans get the chance to vote on remaining at St James' or move to a new stadium it would be an intriguing result.