Shearer hoping Shepherd can be saviour of Toon

Jun 14 2009 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

“He would prefer to deal with people he knows, and he knows exactly what he will get from that group.

“Newcastle United is the football club Alan Shearer wants to manage, and that is why he has waited patiently for a breakthough.

“But he cannot wait forever, as the BBC will soon want to know if he is going back there.”

Newcastle’s predicament has been thrown into further confusion by their bizarre invitation to would-be buyers to contact them by email, and several other applications which are feared to be publicity-driven.

But there are suggestions that Seymour Pierce, the investment bank asked by Ashley to broker a sale, are expecting a serious offer from new bidders in the next few days.

Even so, Shepherd will take his time finding out what his accountants make of Newcastle’s books and any potential extra costs hidden therein.

Possible complicating factors include the likelihood of future revenues from three-year season tickets sold last summer already having been banked, and cut-price two-year corporate box deals now being sold.

A still-to-be agreed settlement package for Kevin Keegan, details of the £5 million compensation payment due for Jonas Gutierrez and the payment arrangements on player purchases made in January are also to be explored.

And all parties interested in a takeover will seek clarification on whether any or all of the £248m-worth of loans detailed in Newcastle’s last set of accounts would be due to Ashley upon his departure from the club.