Sports
The container, the fence and the curious case of a £180,000 patch of land outside St James’ Park
First, a sizeable yellow metal office container appeared outside turnstiles 42 and 43 of the East Stand, partly blocking those two entry points into St James’ Park.
On the second weekend of August, as fears grew that the far-right riots that had broken out across the UK could soon reach Tyneside, almost 66,000 Newcastle United fans attended back-to-back pre-season friendlies against Girona and Brest.
For hundreds of fans sitting in that section of the East Stand, and the many thousands who walked along Leazes Terrace before and after both matches, the container provided an additional obstruction in an area that is already a pinch point on matchday, given how narrow Magpie Lane is, which leads down by the stadium, to the left of the metal box.
By the following weekend, when Newcastle hosted Southampton in their Premier League opener, the container had disappeared.
Nobody knew the purpose it had apparently served.
The situation became even more curious less than a fortnight later. In the week leading up to Newcastle’s home match against Tottenham Hotspur, a three-foot-high fence, leading nowhere in particular but apparently designating five car-parking spaces, appeared.
We have been made aware that there is the following fence/parking area being constructed in front of the East Stand by the owner of the land. pic.twitter.com/aHyDxKpJLu
— Newcastle United Supporters Trust (@nufctrust) August 29, 2024
The fence stretched about 8m alongside the perimeter of the East Stand, in almost precisely the spot where the container had previously stood, while at one end it jutted three metres out on to the road, parallel to other on-street parking spaces that are marked out by white-dashed lines.
By the evening of August 31, on the eve of the Spurs match, the peculiar fence had been removed and was not present on the day of the game. In the days that followed, some of the fence then appeared back in that spot, but rather than erected, the sections were piled on top of one another.
(Chris Waugh/The Athletic)
Once more, before Newcastle’s next home match — against Manchester City last Saturday — the wooden posts were nowhere to be seen.
As of Tuesday evening, when Newcastle welcomed AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup third round, Leazes Terrace was back to being unobstructed.
(Chris Waugh/The Athletic)
Theoretically, however, further obstacles could yet appear in that same awkward spot in the future.
The land is not owned by Newcastle United, or even Newcastle City Council. Instead, as notices placed by the club above turnstiles 42 and 43 outline — and which remain in place — the plot “is owned and controlled by St James Terrace Land Ltd, Company No. 15599599”.
(Chris Waugh/The Athletic)
While public safety on matchday was cited by the Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST) and Newcastle United as a key concern arriving from these perplexing episodes, for the club this is also one of myriad factors that makes the potential expansion and redevelopment of St James’ Park extremely complicated.
The Grade-1 listed buildings on Leazes Terrace and the Grade-2 listed buildings on the adjoining St James Terrace already make extending the East Stand problematic.
Yet, even if Newcastle United’s stadium feasibility study — which began a year ago and the results from which Darren Eales, the CEO, claimed were “imminent” as far back as July — outlines a potential workaround to those delicate issues, the club would still need to acquire this strange island of land. And, given the price the present owner paid for the plot, Newcastle may need to fork out an eye-watering sum to do so.
Located directly adjacent to the East Stand, the strip is shaped like two triangles pointing inwards towards one another (as shown below in red, but not including the green section), and begins outside turnstiles 42 and 43 on Leazes Terrace and stretches about 8m-10m down Magpie Lane, along the side of No 4 St James Terrace.
The current owners acquired the plot on April 5 this year, as the club’s feasibility study was still ongoing.
St James Terrace Land Ltd was only incorporated as a company on March 28 but then, eight days later, according to Land Registry records entitled “Land lying to the south-west of 4 St James’ Terrace”, it paid £180,000 ($239,000 at present exchange rates) to buy the land.
Robbie Kalbraier is the sole director of the company. Although Mr Kalbraier’s correspondence address for St James Terrace Land Ltd is Great Portland Street in London, he is an active director of seven other companies — ranging from construction to flat rental and advertising firms — some of which are registered in Jesmond, Newcastle.
The Athletic, having failed to reach Mr Kalbraier or his companies via email or phone, visited Tyneside Developments Ltd, his company that has headquarters at Blue House. An iconic 19th-century building, which has exposed red bricks on the outside of the ground floor and a white-and-blue checked facade on the outer first floor, it belongs to the Freemen of Newcastle and is situated just off a busy roundabout in the middle of Newcastle’s famous Town Moor.
Mr Kalbraier acknowledged receipt of The Athletic’s questions — which included queries on how he came to own the land on Leazes Terrace, why he had been placing obstacles on it, whether he will continue to do so going forward, and if he had spoken directly with Newcastle United regarding this — but he politely declined to answer them.
There has been contact between the club and the landowner, although the rationale behind why those obstructions were placed there and whether more will be positioned there in the future remains unclear.
Newcastle United said: “The landowner is not associated with or affiliated to the club in any way whatsoever.
“In the interests of continuing to provide uninterrupted access for our fans and others using St James’ Park, particularly on matchdays, we have offered alternative nearby sites to the landowner for the safe storage of their items and will continue to seek to engage in constructive dialogue with the landowner on this matter. We will monitor the situation and will work closely with our partners to find a sensible way forward.”
The NUST described the actions of St James Terrace Land Ltd as “disgraceful” and “openly petty”.
“We strongly urge the landowner to remove the current structure (fence) and to stop putting structures in place which could compromise the safety of our supporters on matchday,” NUST said in a statement last month. “Naturally, we are concerned about the serious health and safety concerns that the structure poses, given the impact this would have on queues when accessing and departing the East Stand.
“The area of the ground right by where this has been constructed is a very busy area on matchdays and putting obstacles in the way of supporters could have dangerous consequences and result in significant overcrowding.”
The club did contact Newcastle City Council, which began an investigation while the container and then the fence were in place, but that ceased once the obstacles were removed.
A council spokesperson said: “We are aware a fence was erected, however that is no longer there. This is a matter between the landowner and the club. The council will only become involved if a risk to public safety arises or work requiring statutory permission is proposed.”
While Northumbria Police were made aware of the situation, the force has not been involved or begun an investigation as it is considered a civil matter.
Regardless, just how did a private company came to own this pocket of land immediately behind the East Stand?
Four of Mr Kalbraier’s companies comprise Tyneside Group Limited, which specialises in the redevelopment, management and rental of properties in Newcastle.
One of those companies, St James’ Central Investments Limited, lists on its website that: “Early in 2014, an opportunity arose to purchase 1, 2, 3 St James Terrace and 17 St James’ Street”. Those properties were redeveloped and, collectively, according to the company, “sold for £2.05million” ($2.72m at present exchange rates), although it does not specify when those sales happened.
According to Land Registry documents, separately, on March 4, 2016, No 4 St James Terrace was bought for £300,000 by St James Partners Limited. Their sole director is Kashif Mumtaz, a businessman and Newcastle supporter who also owns Nos 1 to 3 on the same street — previously redeveloped by Mr Kalbraier’s St James’ Central Investments Ltd — meaning he possesses the entire block.
A week after No 4 was purchased, on March 11, 2016, the strip that St James Terrace Land Ltd now owns was separated from the title for No 4 St James’ Terrace, as was the land immediately behind that property (as shown on the map above in green). The property’s description was then altered with the Land Registry to reflect the change, which is why it is now “land lying to the south-west of 4 St James Terrace”.
The Athletic attempted to contact Mr Mumtaz to confirm these details, but received no response.
For now, Leazes Terrace is back to normal. But St James Terrace Land Ltd can continue to use the plot how it sees fit — and theoretically could place further obstacles on it in the future.
Although the site has (temporarily) been used to house a metal office and a fence apparently demarcating parking spots, it is not a prime storage position, while the parking spaces cannot be used on matchday when the road is closed.
Its significance and value to St James Terrace Land Ltd is unclear. But if Newcastle United ever want to expand the East Stand, they will need to acquire that small strip of land.
When it comes to redeveloping St James’ Park, it seems nothing is ever straightforward.
(Top photos: Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust, Chris Waugh/The Athletic)
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
After its massive 1-0 win over South Korea on Thursday night, Mexico has won Group A and officially clinched a spot in the knockout round.
El Tri will play its Round of 32 game in Mexico City, and will face the third-place finisher in either Group C/E/F/H/I.
This is the fourth time that Mexico has topped the group stage of a World Cup, with the other three coming in 1986, 1994 and 2002.
With the win, Mexico remains unbeaten in World Cup group games at home, going a combined 6-2-0 (W-D-L), with two wins and a draw in 1970 and 1986, and now two wins in 2026.
Before the tournament began, Mexico was listed at +6500 to win the World Cup. Now, after winning its first two games of the tournament, Mexico has surged up the oddsboard to +5000.
Can Mexico build off its first two matches and make a deep run in this tournament? Let’s check out the updated odds for El Tri as of June 19.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
Team Mexico — Stage of Elimination
Last 32: +125 (bet $10 to win $22.50 total)
Last 16: +135 (bet $10 to win $23.50 total)
Quarterfinals: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Semifinals: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Runner-up: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Outright winner: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Mexico is currently +5000 to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup after winning Group A (Getty Images).
Mexico’s Past World Cup Results:
1930: Group stage
1934: Did not qualify
1938: Withdrew
1950: Group stage
1954: Group stage
1958: Group stage
1962: Group stage
1966: Group stage
1970: Quarterfinals
1974: Did not qualify
1978: Group stage
1982: Did not qualify
1986: Quarterfinals
1990: Banned
1994: Round of 16
1998: Round of 16
2002: Round of 16
2006: Round of 16
2010: Round of 16
2014: Round of 16
2018: Round of 16
2022: Group stage
2026: TBD
What to know: Mexico has made a habit of being in the running, but never really being in the running. Make sense? Consider this: El Tri made it out of the group stage in seven consecutive World Cups (1994-2018), but never made it past the Round of 16 in any of those years. In 2022, Mexico failed to make it out of the group stage, and it will look to get back to its winning ways in 2026 after a great start to the tournament. With its win Thursday night, Mexico has now advanced to the knockout stage in eight of the last nine World Cups. It is important to note, however, that Mexico has never made it past the quarterfinals at a FIFA men’s World Cup.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Three and a half years after its biggest failure on the World Cup stage in half a century, the Mexican national team needed only two games to advance to the knockout round of this year’s tournament as winner of Group A.
Mexico’s defense held off a spirited final push by South Korea, earning a 1-0 win on Thursday night at Guadalajara Stadium in front of a fiery announced sellout crowd of 45,522.
“It was a very tough game,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said.
Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu made a mistake in the 50th minute, failing to stop what appeared to be a simple cross and bobbling the ball. That allowed Mexico’s Luis Romo to easily tap the ball into the net and claim a 1-0 lead.
“In the end, a mistake was going to tip the scales,” Aguirre said.
Mexico goalkeeper Raúl Rangel blocks a shot from South Korea’s Son Heung-min during their World Cup match at Guadalajara Stadium on Thursday.
(Natacha Pisarenko / Ap Photo/natacha Pisarenko)
“You always want to be there; I felt it, and I got the chance,” said Romo, who started the game after starting the opener on the bench — a strategic change by the Mexican coach that paid off.
South Korea put pressure on the Mexican team throughout the game. Late in the scoreless first half, Jae-sung Lee came close to giving South Korea the lead. Aguirre hoped his team would shake off nerves following the emotional opener at Azteca Stadium and show more bite in its second game against South Korea, but his team didn’t have much power behind its attack during the game’s first 45 minutes.
The crowd in Guadalajara grew frustrated and began booing the Mexican national team’s performance at the end of the first half.
Mexico, however, won back their cheers when it capitalized on South Korea’s costly mistake and converted it into a goal.
Obed Vargas replaced Romo in the 71st minute and was close to scoring a spectacular goal if not for Seung-gyu’s save.
El Tri earned a win without any other goals thanks, in part, to a great night by goalkeeper Raúl Rangel, who stopped a header by Cho Gue-sung in the 87th minute. Captain Edson Álvarez helped turn away South Korea’s attack late, holding up relatively well despite having left ankle surgery during the past year.
“It was just a reflex,” said Rangel, whose club team Chivas plays at at Guadalajara Stadium. “I was very focused and stepped up when the team needed me, and I’m happy about that.”
LAFC star and South Korea captain Son Heung-min fired one shot over Mexico’s goalkeeper in the first half, but Álvarez cleared it off the line before the referee ruled Son was offsides.
South Korea finished controlling possession 58% of the time, but it only earned two shots on target.
“It wasn’t a good game because they didn’t let us do much,” Aguirre said.
Mexico was coming off a comfortable 2-0 victory over South Africa, while the South Koreans had defeated the Czech Republic 2-1, marking their first World Cup opening-match win since 2010.
During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Mexico was eliminated in the group stage for the first time since 1978, breaking a streak of seven consecutive appearances in the knockout rounds. However, playing on home soil, the team’s goal is to emulate El Tri’s achievements in 1970 and 1986, when they reached the quarterfinals — the country’s best World Cup finish.
Due to the new 48-team format, Mexico would need to win two knockout-round matches and reach a sixth game to realize its goals.
“We’re taking it one step at a time; first, there’s the third game,” Romo said.
Mexico’s Luis Romo celebrates with his teammates after scoring during a match against South Korea at Guadalajara Stadium on Thursday.
(Natacha Pisarenko / Associated Press)
After the win over South Korea, Mexico will close out group play against Czechia at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on Wednesday. El Tri will get to play the first two games of the knockout round — should it win the first one — at Azteca Stadium, a venue where it has never lost a World Cup game.
South Korea has four points and will be favored when it plays South Africa Wednesday in Monterrey. If South Korea wins the match, it would be the Group A runner-up and advance to play the Group B runner-up on June 28 at SoFi Stadium.
“We want all nine points,” Vargas said of Mexico’s goal entering its next game against Czechia.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Who’ll win the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup? The race is on for who’ll score the most goals at the tournament, and it is set to be one of the tournament’s most closely watched storylines.
Several of the world’s top forwards will be aiming to finish as the competition’s leading goalscorer. Kylian Mbappé enters the tournament after winning the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, while Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, and Mikel Oyarzabal are among the other players expected to challenge for the award.
And check out our list of all the 2026 World Cup goals, ranked!
Favorites To Win The Golden Boot
Harry Kane: +310 (bet $10 to win $41 total)
Lionel Messi: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Kylian Mbappé: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Erling Haaland: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Kai Havertz: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Vinícius Júnior: +3300 (bet $10 to win $340 total)
Folarin Balogun: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Mikel Oyarzabal: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Lamine Yamal: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Raphinha: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Michael Olise: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Romelu Lukaku: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Viktor Gyökeres: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Cody Gakpo: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)
Cristiano Ronaldo: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)
3 Goals
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2 Goals
Johan Manzambi (Switzerland)
Harry Kane (England)
Erling Haaland (Norway)
Kylian Mbappé (France)
Harry Kane (England)
Elijah Just (New Zealand)
Yasin Ayari (Sweden)
Kai Havertz (Germany)
Folarin Balogun (USA)
1 Goal
Granit Xhaka (Switzerland)
Rubén Vargas (Switzerland)
Ermin Mahmic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Michal Sadilek (Czechia)
Teboho Mokoena (South Africa)
Jáminton Campaz (Colombia)
Luis Díaz (Colombia)
Daniel Muñoz (Colombia)
Abbosbek Fayzullaev (Uzbekistan)
Caleb Yirenkyi (Ghana)
Jude Bellingham (England)
Marcus Rashford (England)
Martin Baturina (Croatia)
Petar Musa (Croatia)
Yoane Wissa (DR Congo)
João Neves (Portugal)
Marko Arnautović (Austria)
Jude Bellingham (England)
Marcus Rashford (England)
Yoane Wissa (DR Congo)
João Neves (Portugal)
Caleb Yirenkyi (Ghana)
Ali Olwan (Jordan)
Romano Schmid (Austria)
Leo Østigard (Norway)
Ayman Hussein (Iraq)
Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal)
Bradley Barcola (France)
Ramin Rezaeian (Iran)
Mohammad Mohebbi (Iran)
Maxi Araújo (Uruguay)
Abdulelah Al-Amri (Saudi Arabia)
Emam Ashour (Egypt)
Alexander Isak (Sweden)
Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden)
Mattias Svanberg (Sweden)
Omar Rekik (Tunisia)
Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast)
Keito Nakamura (Japan)
Daichi Kamada (Japan)
Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)
Crysencio Summerville (Netherlands)
Felix Nmecha (Germany)
Nico Schlotterbeck (Germany)
Jamal Musiala (Germany)
Nathaniel Brown (Germany)
Deniz Undav (Germany)
Connor Metcalfe (Australia)
Nestory Irankunda (Australia)
John McGinn (Scotland)
Ismael Saibari (Morocco)
Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)
Breel Embolo (Switzerland)
Gio Reyna (USA)
Mauricio (Paraguay)
Cyle Larin (Canada)
Jovo Lukić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Ladislav Krejcí (Czechia)
Julián Quiñones (Mexico)
Raúl Jimenez (Mexico)
Hwang In-Beom (South Korea)
Oh Hyeon-Gyu (South Korea)
Own Goals
Yazan Al-Arab (Jordan; 1)
Ayman Hussein (Iraq; 1)
Mohamed Hany (Egypt; 1)
Miro Muheim (Switzerland; 1)
Damián Bobadilla (Paraguay; 1)
Last 5 Golden Boot Winners
- 2022 (Qatar): Kylian Mbappé (France) – 8 goals
- 2018 (Russia): Harry Kane (England) – 6 goals
- 2014 (Brazil): James Rodríguez (Colombia) – 6 goals
- 2010 (South Africa): Thomas Müller (Germany) – 5 goals
- 2006 (Germany): Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 5 goals
-
Florida43 seconds agoEx-Florida juvenile probation officer accused of leaking court info to drug traffickers
-
Georgia4 minutes agoGeorgia National Fair announces ticket pricing changes for 2026
-
Hawaii9 minutes agoHawaii economy remains resilient despite inflation – The Garden Island
-
Idaho16 minutes agoIdaho Targets Japanese Beetle in Caldwell to Protect Agriculture
-
Illinois19 minutes agoPedestrian fatally struck by Metra train in Palatine, Illinois
-
Indiana24 minutes agoMan dies after near east side apartment shooting
-
Iowa31 minutes agoIowa man injured in 3-vehicle crash on I-35 near Albert Lea
-
Kentucky34 minutes agoDemetrus Liggins disputes Fayette County board’s claim he resigned, attorneys allege misconduct
