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Reclusive sports wear billionaire Mike Ashley is poised to take control of Newcastle United Football Club after winning the support of club chairman Freddy Shepherd who controlled a 28 per cent stake. His charm offensive at the sick boss's bedside paid off and the sweetener of an as yet undefined continuing role at the club for the chairman undoubtedly helped. Newcastle's £133.1m price tag is lower than that of Liverpool which was sold in a deal valuing the club at £219m and Manchester United, which was sold in 2005 for £809m. The transaction breaks a run of foreign investors buying Premiership clubs, as happened last season to Aston Villa, Liverpool and West Ham. The takeover has been generally welcomed by Geordies frustrated with years of under achievement. Fanzine editor Mark Jensen commented, 'People are looking for a total change in the way Newcastle United is run. That can probably only be achieved by having totally different people at the top.'.
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