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Newcastle give chairman Shepherd the push
25/07/2007 |
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Almost 10 years after first being appointed to the post and some 15 years after his initial investment with John Hall, Freddy Shepherd was removed as chairman of Newcastle United yesterday. There was no fanfare for what marks the end of an era at St James' Park, rather a terse four-line statement that thanked Shepherd for his time while announcing that the deputy chairman, Chris Mort, would step up.
As Mike Ashley's appointment, Mort was already the key decision-maker but the new owner had allowed Shepherd to retain the title of chairman, on a salary. The 65-year-old has been ill lately and Ashley's offer appeared generous.
But only 62 days after stunning football by buying Sir John Hall's 41% shareholding, and six days after taking the club back into private ownership, Ashley's sympathy looks to have folded. Shepherd's son, Kenneth, was relieved of his unofficial role a fortnight ago and, having paid approximately £38m for Shepherd's 28% stake, Ashley may not have been overjoyed to discover that Shepherd, contractually, is due a two-year pay-off on his salary, roughly another £1m.
Ashley, via Mort, is currently conducting a "strategic review" - he stressed the size of the club's debt in his one conversation to date - and inevitably there was a rush to connect Shepherd's termination with that review. There is nothing known to connect him with the event.
The club's announcement featured brief comments from Mort, who said: "I am delighted to become chairman of such a fabulous club. I have been hugely encouraged by the warm welcome I have received from so many supporters. The strategic review of the club is going well and, with the new season fast approaching, we feel the time is right to make the change. I would like to thank Freddy Shepherd for all he has done for the club over the last 15 years."
Fans who chanted for Shepherd's removal last November after the home defeat by Sheffield United would not have been expressing any gratitude. They still do not know the full scale of Shepherd's - or the Hall family's - investment down the years but, because of their decision to float the club a decade ago, supporters have been able to see their salaries, dividends and perks .
Allied to the "fake sheikh" sting in 1998, when Shepherd and Douglas Hall were caught mocking fans' appetites for replica shirts and referring to Geordie women as "dogs", forcing Shepherd to resign, albeit temporarily, the finances at St James' led Shepherd in particular to become increasingly unpopular - though it is the Halls who depart with more than £90m.
Signings, made and not made, were often seen as stunts by fans - Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, for example - as Shepherd became one of the most high-profile chairmen in the Premiership. However, supporters and neutrals cringed at some of his opinions.
But it was the big decisions on managers that really alienated the faithful. Though Shepherd argued that he sacked only two managers, Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullit, Sir Bobby Robson, Graeme Souness and Glenn Roeder all left while he was one of the two most important individuals in the boardroom.
In Shepherd's defence only Souness and Roeder were not widely welcomed by fans and, as he decides what to do next, Shepherd may reflect on two moments.
Following Keegan's resignation in January 1997, Shepherd and Hall travelled to Barcelona to persuade Robson to become Keegan's successor. Robson was 63 at the time and would have had the energy and backing to continue Keegan's efforts. There are differing accounts of what happened but Robson remained in Barcelona and it would be another 2½ years - and two managers - before he did arrive .
Initially Robson struggled, hampered by the funds afforded Dalglish and Gullit, but, working in tandem with Shepherd, Newcastle finished fourth in 2002 and third a year later. They also reached the last 16 of the Champions League and the semi-final of the Uefa Cup. Shepherd was triumphalist.
But in May 2004 they finished fifth, one place behind Liverpool who sacked Gérard Houllier and turned to Rafael Benítez.
Shepherd, who, "did not want to be the man who shot Bambi", stalled and dismissed Robson four months later. The club have been in recovery from his non-decision ever since.
(Source: Guardian.co.uk)
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