Chinese whispers over Toon takeover.
By Nick Whitten, The Evening Chronicle, 2nd June 2007
The Toon's strong links with China are fuelling speculation of a rival takeover bid for Newcastle United.
Rumours are rife on Tyneside today of rival bids for control at United coming from the Far East, despite billionaire Mike Ashley launching his £133.1m takeover bid last week. And it is the Magpies' partnership with China's most successful football club, Dalian Shide, that has got most people talking.
Dalian and the Toon formed a marketing and sporting alliance in 2002 and have been close allies ever since.
City analysts believe Dalian's owner, Xu Ming - one of the China's richest men - could be about to swoop for the St James' Park club. One City analyst said: "Newcastle United's links with China's most successful football club, Dalian Shide, are well documented. "Interest from their owner, one of China's richest men, was always going to be likely."
Sports mogul Mr Ashley shocked the football world last week after he bought the Halls' 41.6% stake in Newcastle United for £55.3m and immediately launched a bid for the club.
Mr Ashley visited St James' Park for the first time on Thursday and then paid a visit to Freddy Shepherd at the Freeman Hospital where the club's chairman is recovering from pneumonia.
Mr Ashley has offered every Toon shareholder 100p for each share he or she owns, including Mr Shepherd who owns just over 37 million shares. But were someone to come in with a higher offer than Mike Ashley's 100p a share, that would automatically scupper his bid. Mr Ashley would have the option of coming back with an even higher offer, creating a bidding war for control of St James' Park.
However, a source close to Mr Ashley said today: "I don't think he is worried about rumours of a rival bid. He is taking everything at face value. "But should they become more than rumours he will respond as he feels necessary. "He has not entered into his bid to buy Newcastle United lightly. "By the very fact that he is not a high-profile individual, he would not have put himself through the spotlight that has been cast upon him. "He would not be doing all of this if he wasn't completely serious about taking control of the club."
Mr Ashley, 42, is the UK's 25th richest man with a personal fortune of £1.9bn.
Xu Ming, 36, is a banking and insurance tycoon and is one of China's top 15 richest men. He also owns the most successful side in the history of Chinese football. Dalian Shide play at the 56,000-seater Dalian People's Stadium in Dalian.
Spoof game backfired Billionaire
Mike Ashley reportedly played a game of chance to settle a disputed £200,000 bill - and lost.
The sports retailer, currently bidding £133.1m for Newcastle United, is understood to have proposed the game of `spoof' after failing to agree payment of a bank's legal fees.
The six-figure bill was presented by Merrill Lynch in connection with the flotation of Mr Ashley's business empire Sports Direct.
The game, which is popular with city traders, reportedly followed hours of negotiations between the 42-year-old, and is thought to have cost Sports Direct shareholders up to £200,000.
Merrill Lynch banker Simon Mackenzie-Smith is reported to have agreed to the game to break the deadlock.
Spoof was originally a pub game, traditionally used to decide who would buy the next round of drinks. But in recent years it has become popular in the city. In a one-on-one game, each player draws between zero and three coins from their pocket and holds them concealed in a clenched fist. If a player correctly guesses the total number of coins held by both taking part they are awarded a point.
The winner is usually the first to 10 points. If a player believes the total is zero they shout 'spoof'.
Nufcmismanagement view:
We would love to hear from anybody who knows anything about these supposed roumours, it has been said that the rumours are just the local media trying to come to the rescue of Freddy Shepherd.
The local media are rumoured to be the poodles of Shepherd.