According to Teamtalk

Grand Prix boss in Toon takeover? By Bob Cass Motor racing boss Sir Frank Williams is in talks with Newcastle chairman Freddie Shepherd to buy into Newcastle United. Could Williams be joining the Toon top table? (Pic/Allsport) The multi-millionaire boss of the Williams Grand Prix team flew to Tyneside last Thursday in his private plane for a boardroom meeting with Shepherd at United's St James' Park ground. Shepherd wants to persuade Williams, whose fortune has been estimated at £95 million, to back his bid to take the club off the stock market and return it to private ownership. That could see Douglas Hall, son of former chairman Sir John Hall, offload his 47 per cent majority shareholding in the club, worth £22.2m on current share prices. At present, Williams holds just 500 shares in the club. Shepherd last night confirmed that the meeting had taken place but attempted to play down its significance. 'Frank is an old friend of mine. We talk a lot and this was nothing more than a private get-together,' he said. Although there have been denials about taking the club out of public ownership, it is widely believed Shepherd will take the club private as soon as he can find a financial partner. The club have had an inglorious four years on the stock exchange, with shares collapsing from 140p in 1997 to a little over 32p. Recently Shepherd increased his personal shareholding to 18 per cent by buying out the 9.9 per cent stake of media company, ntl, the club's sponsors. Despite reporting losses of £9m last month, the Newcastle board recently approved dividend payments worth almost £2.5m for Hall and Shepherd. Williams and Shepherd were born within a stone's throw of each other in the Tyneside suburb of Byker. The Oxford-based motor racing chief has been an ardent follower of the team since his boyhood days. Williams raced his own Austin in 1961, funding his racing activities from his job as a travelling grocery salesman, and began his Grand Prix team in an old carpet warehouse in Didcot in 1977. It has since become one of the biggest in Formula One racing, thriving despite the road accident in 1986 which left Williams paralysed and confined to a wheelchair.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2001

Answers

Oopps -according to Soccernet, not Teamtwaddle

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

...... also the main story on the back page of the Sunday Sun.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

And the Mail, with a mention in the Observer.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Shudder. Can't stand the man. However, he's a very prudent operator and would bring some much needed professionalism and perfectionism to the running of the place if he is any more than a sleeping partner.

Interesting to see the NUFC crest in F1 rather than just the Lister Storm

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Das SS auch sagt F1 ist ganna break away und beginnen ein neues deal mit Fussball clubs in 2003 (Premiere 1). Ich wurde ein bischen of das action. ;-)

Mind, aah didn't knaa Frank was a Sand Dancer (obviously before his awful accident).

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

My favorite F1 team + my favorite football team = joy

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Looks like good news. Doesn't sound like it though. Grand Prix? That could become a bit of a millstone. Still, I'd sooner we had Grand Prix than Bernt Hasses.

-- Anonymous, November 05, 2001