When you think of iconic English football stadiums, there are likely a few names that almost instantly spring to mind: Old Trafford, Anfield, Goodison Park, and undoubtedly Newcastle United's St James' Park.

The Magpies' home is one of the most impressive and visually striking football grounds in world football, and it often has the atmosphere to match.

While the Premier League might have more modern and flashy stadiums in it, there are very few that can beat or even match St James' Park for its sheer character.

With that in mind, Football FanCast has everything you need to know about the Toon's footballing cathedral, so you know your stuff before your next away day.

St James' Park history

The first recorded game of football to be played at St James' Park took place in 1880, a full 12 years before Newcastle United were even formed.

The first team to play at the ground were Newcastle Rangers, but once they had folded in 1886, the ground's lease was picked up by Newcastle West End, who played at the venue until they also folded in 1892.

However, their enviable location led to a merging with the more financially stable Newcastle East End at the end of the year, leading to the creation of Newcastle United.

The Toon have remained at the stadium ever since, seeing it rise from its humble beginnings to become one of the most famous football grounds in the world.

The last significant development of the stadium was completed in 2000 with the additions of the iconic Leazes and Milburn Stands.

St James' Park capacity

St James' Park has a capacity of around 52,000, which makes it the seventh-largest stadium in the Premier League and the fourth-largest outside of London.

Newcastle United are currently planning to increase the capacity to around 65,000, which would make it the second-largest in the top flight, comfortably overtaking the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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How to get to St James' Park

By train

There are two metro stations within walking distance of St James' Park that the club recommend fans use on matchdays, as well as one national rail station for those coming from further afield:

• St James' Metro Station (Tyne & Wear Metro system): This is the closest station to the stadium itself and the one recommended by the club for those coming in on the metro. Walking from the station to the stadium's entrance should take approximately two minutes at an average walking speed.
• Monument station (Tyne & Wear Metro system): This will be your second-best bet for the metro, and at an average walking speed, it should take around eight minutes to reach the stadium.
• Newcastle Central Station (National Rail): For those coming from further afield, you can walk from Newcastle Central Station to St James' Park in about 14 minutes.

If you would rather take the bus, there are two stations situated about a five-minute walk from the stadium: Haymarket and Eldon Square.

By car

The club make it very clear that it is not advisable for fans to drive to St James' Park on matchdays due to the increased traffic and lack of available parking. In fact, there are no unreserved car parks available to use on event days around the stadium.

If you still want to drive some of the way, the club run a park-and-ride scheme. This means that fans can park at either the MetroCentre or Newcastle Great Park and take one of the available buses the rest of the way.

For those happy to spend more money on an expensive car park, the John Dobson Street Car Park is a ten-minute walk from the ground.

St James' Park away tickets

Newcastle United will usually allocate 3,000 tickets in the upper tier of the Sir John Hall Stand for away fans.

The stadium is a fantastic place to watch football, but away fans are about as far away from the action as possible, and while it is undoubtedly a unique viewing experience in the Premier League, it can make it hard to see the action.

However, it's still a brilliant experience and an away day that every fan should participate in at least once in their lives.