Quote of the day

"This is not intended as a pop at the current owners. It’s saying we feel frustration at the events of the last decade, all the shenanigans of managers and owners, which we feel has had an effect on the reputation of the club and a rub-off on the reputation of the city.

My feeling is football has grown away from its supporters, to celebrity players and managers and games scheduled around television, rather than what’s convenient for fans.

Given that passion for football among the supporters we think it would be good if Newcastle United could be a beacon among clubs and give a real stake for supporters financially and a voice in running the club."

Newcastle City Council leader John Shipley, who is to propose a formal motion in support of the Newcastle United Supporters Trust's bid to buy a stake in the club. Importantly, the motion has cross-party support - it's set to be seconded by opposition leader Nick Forbes, who was rather less diplomatic than Shipley: "We have seen what a dog’s breakfast absent millionaire owners can make of football clubs".

Meanwhile, yesterday's Times claimed that more than £50m has been pledged to the Yes We Can campaign. More info on the Trust's website.