Freddy hitz out at bets on boss
By Paul McCarthy of the People, February 19, 2006
Newcastle fear their search for a new manager is being hijacked by an elaborate betting coup.
Chairman Freddy Shepherd is growing increasingly concerned that a campaign to cash in on the vacant St James' Park job is threatening to overshadow his quest for a replacement for Graeme Souness.
This follows rumours last week that Shepherd was meeting Ottmar Hitzfeld, which saw the German's price slashed from 66-1 to 3-1 in an hour on several internet betting sites.
Information was leaked to several news organisations which gave details of the flight into Teesside Airport Hitzfeld was supposed to be on, the hotel i which he was due to stay and where he and Shepherd were meeting.
No such meeting had been scheduled and Shepherd has reacted angrily to the leaked story, which he claims is part on a gambling conspiracy.
He said: "There have been stories sweeping Tyneside about who I'm supposed to be meeting and where. It is highly organised and designed to make people a lot of money.
"There was even a 'leaked' full colour brochure doing the rounds in Newcastle which laid out Ottmar Hitzfeld's CV and his record as a manager. It's amazing the lengths people will go to start a rumour which means they can bet for or against a certain person getting the job. But I can here and now that there has been no approach to Hitzfeld and there are no plans to approach him.
I've said all along we will take our time over this appointment. We've rushed into things before and we've made mistakes, I admit that.
"That's not the case this time. Glenn Roeder is an excellent caretaker, a really safe pair of hands so we can afford to make sure we appoint the right man without the necessity of being hurried into it."
Soho square is growing increasingly concerned over the rise of trade on internet betting sites and has the power to investigate and act if the patterns are seen as unusual.
A copy of the dossier can be downloaded by following this link
Nufcmismanagement view:
What a load of tripe Freddy, did it not enter your mind that maybe the fans did want Hitzfeld and maybe the fans didn't trust you when it came to appointing the right manager, you don't actually have a very good track-record, do you?
Yes we know you later denied making the betting scam claim.
We also know that you went to the press to say that Shearer would knock 10 bells out of Bellamy, you later retracted that claim on the club web site, again you don't have a very good track-record.