THE NEW St. James’ STACK presented by Sela has struck its first goal, after welcoming tens of thousands of visitors over its first weekend.
The eagerly awaited fanzone, created as a partnership between Newcastle United and STACK, opened its doors a week ago (Thurs 8 August), with queues of eager fans lining up to be the first to take a look.
And from that moment until Sunday a staggering 38,000 people walked through the doors, with more than 26,000 pints pulled in four days.
The container hub – which has created 165 full and part time jobs – is also home to a range of top street food traders who have reported record sales since the venue launched.
Rob West of Davey’s Mexicano said the response had been “absolutely incredible.”
“We opened at noon on the first day and we were planning for a bit of a soft launch,” said Rob.
“But we were busy from the word go and it has not stopped all week, it’s been absolutely fantastic.
“We thought it might quieten down a little bit midweek but that absolutely hasn’t been the case. We’ve been overwhelmed with the response.”
His words were echoed by Garry Overs of Texas Smoker, from whom opening at St. James’ STACK presented by Sela is a welcome return to the city.
“We were in the original STACK and then we’ve been busy at festivals up and down the country,” he said.
“But when the opportunity came up to be in the fanzone we knew it was great way for us to be back in Newcastle again and it has been absolutely amazing.
“It’s a great venue for everyone and we have hardly stopped for breath from the minute it opened.”
The venue is now gearing up to welcome thousands of fans for the first match of the new season this Saturday (17 August) and although the game won’t be shown on the big screens, there is a full programme of entertainment on offer.
Pre- the game there will be an appearance by a former player, match preview coverage from NUFC commentator, Matthew Raisbeck and live music, with top tribute act, Beyond Madness taking to the stage from 5.30pm.
Neill Winch, CEO of STACK, is delighted with the way everyone has embraced the new venue.
“We knew before we opened the level of interest and excitement there was for STACK to make a return to the city and how special this project was for NUFC fans,” he said.
“But it was still incredible to see people turn out in their thousands to enjoy the fanzone in its first weekend.
“The feedback from both visitors and traders has been overwhelmingly positive, which has left everyone feeling immensely proud. It’s been an honour to create a venue that truly resonates with the club and the community, and we can’t wait to welcome fans as the new season gets underway.”
Newcastle United’s Chief Operating Officer, Brad Miller, said: “The response to the first week of St. James’ STACK, presented by Sela, has been overwhelmingly positive.”
“The fanzone has proven popular not only with match-goers over the Sela Weekender, but throughout the week with the diverse events and entertainment on offer. We want this to be the best fanzone in the country in terms of quality and the varied offering for people of all ages.
“Huge congratulations to all the team behind STACK, in what has been a great opening week which has only been possible due to the collaboration and hard work of all stakeholders involved. Football fans and the people of Newcastle have had a great time visiting the venue and there is so much more to come.”