Having already visited St James' Park on four previous occasions, it was strange to be looking forward so much to returning.  However, my previous trip up there was way back in 1993 and the place has changed a hell of a lot since then. It was almost like visiting a completely new venue.

As I approached Newcastle city centre on the A1, the ground could quite clearly be seen from the road, still some miles away.  It appeared to be everything that I had seen and heard about - truly majestic and towering over the rest of the skyline.  For the uneducated out there, Newcastle United's home is in the city centre, but it still dwarfed many of the previously prominent features.

Parking can be a nightmare and although I had this in mind, I still lost patience after 10 minutes of desperate searching.  It was bad enough in the old days when there were only about half as many supporters fighting to park their cars, but now it's almost impossible unless you arrive really early (my original intention, heavy traffic put paid to that).  Fortunately, Robbie Williams was playing that night at the Arena so the car park was open for business.  Unfortunately, it cost a whopping £6 and was a 15 minute walk from the ground.  Still, there was nothing else that I could see and at least it was secure. Upon entering the ground, I made my way up the countless flights of steps to Level 7.  The ascent took about five minutes and that was with a clear run.  There were a few of my fellow Evertonians actually catching a breather halfway up! I wouldn't recommend getting in too late as you'll miss the kick-off, aim to enter no later than 10 minutes before the game gets underway.

The first thing that hit me as I emerged from the gangway into the arena was the obvious size.  The two sides that have been redeveloped during the summer are huge, and not surprisingly the largest cantilever stands in Europe.  The two remaining stands seem well out of proportion, which is hard to imagine as the Gallowgate End Stand is extremely large in its' own right.  Up on Level 7, you are treated to a superb view of the surrounding area but actually watching the game isn't perfect and I needed my glasses for the first time at a match.  Obviously foreseeing potential disaster with drunken, excited fans viewing from such heights, the developers saw fit to minimise the risk by allowing as much space between the rows of seating as possible.  You are afforded plenty of leg room and this means that you can even stretch out and enjoy the game in a degree of comfort rarely experienced.