It is the final Newcastle United pre-season friendlies this weekend.
The usual double-header at St James’ Park the weekend before the Premier League season kicks off.
On Saturday, Newcastle United take on Bayer Leverkusen.
On Saturday, Newcastle United take on Strasbourg, with the NUFC Women’s team taking on Inter Milan ahead of the men’s match.
Matthias Jaissle set to split his United squad across the two days.
I have in the past gone to one or two of these pre-season SJP openers.
However, this time I thought the ticket prices were over the top. Cheapest adult seat £25 on the Saturday and then on Sunday the cheapest is £30.
Two friendlies against not exactly exciting opposition, then you have the split squad thing. In the past this has been bad enough when you know Newcastle’s not huge squad was going to see only half the stars at best playing on the day you go, now that small squad losing Bruno, Trippier, Gordon, Tonali…
Anyway, last (Thursday) night I get a call from one of the family, asking me if I had seen about the club giving away free tickets for this weekend at St James’ Park.
The person had received an email offering them four free tickets for Sunday, tickets that would normally have cost £120 for four adults.
This family member works in a school and the club offer of four free tickets was sent via an email from Blue Light Card. The Blue Light Card is available to workers and volunteers in the emergency services, NHS, social care sector, armed forces, and teaching community. Membership costs £4.99 for two years and the usual thing is that you can get discount at various shops, businesses etc
Photo by The Mag
I have no idea how many free tickets Newcastle United have handed to Blue Light Card but clearly if they are offering four per person then it isn’t just a handful!
This prompted me to have a look on the club ticketing site to see how ticket sales are going.
It doesn’t show which seats have been sold but it does show which seats are currently available to buy.
Both days it is clear that Level 7 isn’t open.
On Saturday (minimum adult price £25), it is showing only a small number available in the Milburn, no seats at all on sale in the East Stand, no seats available towards the front of the Leazes or Gallowgate but plenty of tickets still on sale in both ends in the sections further back (but Level 7 closed). I can only presume the East Stand and Milburn Stand tickets have sold, plus lower parts of the Leazes and Gallowgate. Hopefully suggesting a crowd in the twenty thousands.
On Sunday (minimum adult price £30), there were only tickets on sale in the Milburn Stand and a fair few of them available. Though just now when I was looking on Friday morning, the club have opened up sales of seats up towards the middle of the Leazes.
Until the day we have a superstar squad, I think for sure Newcastle United need to stop doing the weekend thing, play the best available first team on one of the days at St James’ Park, get the most attractive opposition, then charge prices that will guarantee to fill the ground (plus without having to give free tickets away…).
Newcastle United schedule:
Saturday 15 August 2026
Newcastle United v Bayer Leverkusen friendly at St James’ Park, 3pm.
Sunday 16 August 2026
Newcastle United v Strasbourg friendly at St James’ Park, 4pm.
Sunday 23 August 2026
Newcastle v Liverpool 4.30pm – United’s first Premier League match of the season
Wednesday 26 August 2026
Newcastle v West Brom 7.45pm (Carabao Cup second round match)