North-East Toon Take Over?

According to the Sunday Sun, chairman Freddy Shepherd WOULD consider selling his shares in the club, but only to a North East-based consortium.

The Belgravia Group have been linked with a proposed £100m bid. However, a 'source close to the club' has dismissed suggestions that Shepherd would sell.



The source said: 'Freddy Shepherd and the Newcastle United Plc board are not in talks with Belgravia. Neither has anyone made an offer for the Shepherd shares.

'If a bid had been submitted, it would have to be declared to the Stock Exchange. And Shepherd has heard nothing since Belgravia's interest in Sir John Hall's shares was made public.

'Shepherd accepts that every club has its price and, as a Plc, if an offer did come in it must be put to the shareholders. He does not want to sell, but if he ever had to, he would want to make sure that it was the right people coming in and that they understood the business.

'The chairman lives in Newcastle and knows what the football club means to the community on Tyneside. Ideally, he would like the ownership of the club to remain in the North East with people who understand the region.'

I'm sure Manchester Utd would have 'liked' the new owners to come from Manchester rather than the Sates, and Chelsea would prefer a London consortium. But money talks, and if the bid lines Freddy's pocket, is he seriously THAT concerned where it comes from?

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