Freddy not coming back to Toon

Sep 28 2008 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

FORMER Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has been persuaded to abandon all thought of fronting a takeover bid for the club.

But while he has ruled out a return to St James’s Park, Shepherd last night spoke of his sadness at United’s current desperate plight.

Although approached by two groups keen on him fronting a Toon takeover, Shepherd said: “My family have asked me not to get involved.”

That follows a torrid end to his reign at St James’s before reluctantly selling up to Mike Ashley.

But Shepherd is anything but smug at the club’s disastrous descent into embarrassment and relegation trouble under Ashley.

“It’s sad — really sad,” said Shepherd. “Nobody should take any delight whatsoever in what is happening, least of all me.

“Myself and Sir John Hall took the club on in 1991 and took it forward, with promotion, a new stadium and a new training ground.

“So it’s so, so sad to see it in such a plight.”