Just found this on Teamtwaddle, anyone know anything more?

Newcastle forge Chinese alliance Newcastle are aiming to challenge Manchester United's domination of the Far East football market after forming an alliance with Dalian Shide. Magpies chairman Freddy Shepherd agreed the link-up at the end of a tour of Asia and Australia, during which he also discussed a similar deal with Newcastle's namesakes Down Under. The arrangement with Chinese champions Dalian will include player-exchange deals and joint marketing initiatives and has "mind-blowing" potential, according to Shepherd. Dalian is a city of 10 million people situated in the Liaoning province, which has a population of 150 million - underlining the potential merchandising benefits for Newcastle. Dalian Shide have only been in existence since 1995 but have already won the Chinese championship five times and play to full houses of 60,000. It is therefore little wonder that Shepherd said: "I am delighted to be part of a ground-breaking agreement. What we have witnessed in Dalian is nothing short of amazing. "The size and potential of the market the club operates in is mind-blowing. We are now at the forefront of an exciting development within world football."

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Answers

Before you know it, the Newcastle Brown Ale Stand will be renamed the Egg Flied Lice at the Garrogate, not to mention the Reazes End.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Lobert Ree, Lobert Ree, Lobert Ree...stop it, that's racist.

icdeadpeople adds: Shepherd's Dalian counterpart Xu Ming added: "Newcastle United are a world famous club and I am determined that Dalian will become just as famous."


-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

... I am determined that Dalian will become just as famous ...

He'd better ignore the first invite he gets from Fat Fred for a short cultural break in Majolca cos it'll be the salt mines for him or whatever the Chinese equivalent is. :-{E}

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002