colinh9
01 Nov 2007, 01:42 AM
Magpies snub Shepherd
EXCLUSIVE New Toon owner Ashley kicks out Shepherd & Hall from their OWN box at St James'
By Simon Bird And Jeremy Armstrong 31/10/2007
Newcastle have banned Freddy Shepherd from St James' Park in an astonishing snub to the club's former chairman.
Billionaire owner Mike Ashley is embroiled in a business wrangle with the Shepherds and ex-vice chairman Douglas Hall after paying £133million to take control of the club.
That has boiled over into the Shepherd family not being welcome at the St James' executive box they own, demonstrated before the win against Tottenham when Freddy's brother Bruce was turned away.
It is understood Douglas Hall, who lives as a tax exile in Spain, is also frozen out. The ruthless break with the club's history has left members of the families who oversaw the 52,000 redevelopment of St James' Park, and the club's revival as a Premier League force, denied the opportunity to sit in the stadium they built.
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Shepherd, who banked £37.65m for his 28 per cent stake, has always insisted he wants to remain a supporter when he bowed out. The Halls held 41.6 per cent of the shares and made £55m from Ashley.
Shepherd has spent much of his retirement in Barbados, but his three sons have attended away games to support the team and give backing to Sam Allardyce, the boss they appointed before Ashley's takeover.
A United insider said: "Freddy was away but Bruce wanted to use the box as he usually would.
"But he was told by a club official that it had been closed off.
"It meant Bruce could not get into his VIP seats and he was not very impressed, to say the least.
"Freddy was furious when he found out, but there is nothing he can do about it." :D
But Douglas's father Sir John, the man whose vision kick-started Toon's Kevin Keegan era, is still thought to be welcome at the ground.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/2007/10/31/magpies-snub-shepherd-89520-20036879/
HAHAHAHAH. Classic.
EXCLUSIVE New Toon owner Ashley kicks out Shepherd & Hall from their OWN box at St James'
By Simon Bird And Jeremy Armstrong 31/10/2007
Newcastle have banned Freddy Shepherd from St James' Park in an astonishing snub to the club's former chairman.
Billionaire owner Mike Ashley is embroiled in a business wrangle with the Shepherds and ex-vice chairman Douglas Hall after paying £133million to take control of the club.
That has boiled over into the Shepherd family not being welcome at the St James' executive box they own, demonstrated before the win against Tottenham when Freddy's brother Bruce was turned away.
It is understood Douglas Hall, who lives as a tax exile in Spain, is also frozen out. The ruthless break with the club's history has left members of the families who oversaw the 52,000 redevelopment of St James' Park, and the club's revival as a Premier League force, denied the opportunity to sit in the stadium they built.
Advertisement
Click here to find out more!
Shepherd, who banked £37.65m for his 28 per cent stake, has always insisted he wants to remain a supporter when he bowed out. The Halls held 41.6 per cent of the shares and made £55m from Ashley.
Shepherd has spent much of his retirement in Barbados, but his three sons have attended away games to support the team and give backing to Sam Allardyce, the boss they appointed before Ashley's takeover.
A United insider said: "Freddy was away but Bruce wanted to use the box as he usually would.
"But he was told by a club official that it had been closed off.
"It meant Bruce could not get into his VIP seats and he was not very impressed, to say the least.
"Freddy was furious when he found out, but there is nothing he can do about it." :D
But Douglas's father Sir John, the man whose vision kick-started Toon's Kevin Keegan era, is still thought to be welcome at the ground.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/2007/10/31/magpies-snub-shepherd-89520-20036879/
HAHAHAHAH. Classic.