In 2021, Newcastle United was taken over by the PIF group of investors from Saudi Arabia. As of 2023, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the richest owner in the Premier League, with a net worth of £320 billion, making the Magpies the wealthiest club.
The overflow of revenue was evident from the get-go. Be it their transfer budget, team building, or the provision of up-to-date facilities at St. James’ Park, the club has utilized their capital for the best.
However, it appears that the club was so focused on providing an elite and luxurious experience at the stadium that they had no funds left to hire an architect for the away dressing room in St. James’ Park.
A recent viral video brought to light the pathetic designing of the away dressing room at St. James’ Park.
Newcastle was scheduled to face Nottingham Forest in their 19th league match. Newcastle has had a couple of tough weeks as their form has recently taken a dip.
The match against Nottingham was just another problem in their worries, with Anthony Elanga being the orchestrator of it.
The ex-Manchester United winger played a key role in Nuno Espirito Santo’s side’s ruthless 3-1 victory at St James Park.
What better way to celebrate this convincing win than with a little dance routine in the locker room?
A video of Anthony Elanga’s post-match reaction emerged from the St James’ Park dressing room that captured the Swedish forward performing a classic yet a rather weird celebratory dance routine.
The video captured public attention in no time, and the reason wasn’t Elnaga’s unique routine, but rather the topic of discussion became the background in the video.
The video showcased the gloomy conditions in the away changing room of NUFC, reminiscent of a prison.
Though the away changing rooms are generally less impressive than the facilities for home sides, the design of the NUFC locker room is simply pathetic.
The color scheme of neutral colors doesn’t sit well, and the beige wall tiles combined with grey flooring give it the appearance of a mental patient’s chamber rather than a sports facility.
Moreover, the room features few to no amenities, except for a continuous black-colored padded seating arrangement with shelves above it. One would expect something lavish from the wealthiest club, but this just gives you downright depressing vibes.
This is not the first time talks have sparked about the dressing room. Some were quick to comment on the dressing room scene when Rafael Leao posed for a picture with Clarence Seedorf after AC Milan‘s hard-fought 2-1 win at St. James’ Park earlier this month.
Fans have taken to social media to express their distress over this issue.
They have complained that it’s unjustified to present such a locker room to the opponent when you are in the Premier League, especially as the wealthiest club. They have compared the room to a ‘prison cell’ and a ‘Sunday league dressing room.’
Others have reasonably justified the reason behind this. According to them, it is not a designing mishap but was literally a planned decision to make the away team as uncomfortable as possible.
The more the opponents feel out of place, the more they will rightfully suffer in the game.
Though it looks the authorities at Newcastle has deliberately made the away dressing room look more unsettling.
Old photo shows that facility had a completely different outlook. The locker room was much brighter, with white tiles embedded with the NUFC logo and wooden seating arrangements, creating an overall positive vibe.
So, why would they suddenly change it, and that too for the worse? Was it simply a renovation failure, or was it a clever tactic purposely done to manipulate the away players by making them uncomfortable? It does raise questions, doesn’t it?