Shepherd out - and about time too!

APOLOGIES for not updating this blog for a while, but yesterday events at St James's Park have driven me to my keyboard again.

As a long-suffering Newcastle United supporter, I was delighted to hear yesterday that Freddy Shepherd has been replaced as chairman.

Not before time too, if you ask me. Let's hope his departure signals the start of a new broom sweeping through the corridors of SJP.

I've never forgiven Mr Shepherd for the infamous 'fake sheikh' incident, where he and co-director Douglas Hall were set up by a News of the World reporter.

They called Geordie women "dogs", dubbed Alan Shearer the Premiership's "Mary Poppins" and boasted about how little the replica black and white shirts they flogged to fans for £40 a throw cost to make.

The pair rightly went off with their tails between their legs, but quietly scuttled back, and before you knew it they were back in power again.

But football fans have long memories, and the pair were never forgiven those indiscretions.

Over the years, Mr Shepherd has made me cringe with embarrassment just about every time he made one of his 'Fred the Fan' statements.

He slagged off Man United, said he didn't care about lower league clubs, and sacked Sir Bobby Robson shortly after saying he didn't want to be known as the man who shot Bambi.

Well, Mr Shepherd, a lot of fans will be joining me in saying 'good riddance', and hoping that the new hierarchy at the club don't manage to put their foot in the brown sticky stuff quite so often.