Source: SKY_Sports
Magpies hope for sale
The man working to sell Newcastle United has confirmed that there is a 'good, gritty interest' in the club from a number of parties.
Keith Harris, the chairman of investment bank Seymour Pierce, was appointed by current Magpies owner Mike Ashley to find buyer for the club at the turn of the year.
Harris is hopeful a deal could be agreed by July as Newcastle prepare for life in the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in 2008/09.
Reports in Sunday's newspapers have suggested that boss Alan Shearer is considering quitting, while there are rumours that former chairman Freddy Shepherd is considering an offer.
Harris has hinted that there is interest from parties based in the United Kingdom, telling Sportsweek: "I'm confident...that there will be offers for Mike to consider in quite short order.
"There is real and decent interest, this is not necessarily from far flung parts of the globe and those expressing interest when it was first marketed but this is good, gritty interest."
Despite Newcastle's relegation and the huge sums lost on his investment by Ashley, Harris believes the club remains an attractive proposition.
"It is a huge club," he said. "If you think in attendance terms last year, it exceeded Liverpool, averaging 48,000 and Liverpool a little over 45,000.
"If you walk around the infrastructure, the training ground, the academy, if you're a person who is willing to take a view over the next two to three years, this is a club that belongs in the top seven."
