Shepherd Denies Weekend Quotes: Hitzfeld Campaign
By Matt Jones
February 22 2006
Newcastle United chairman has denied quotes attributed to him over the weekend about the concerted internet campaign to get Ottmar Hitzfeld installed as the new United manager.
Quoted in the Evening Chronicle, Freddy Shepherd said: "I have not spoken to any newspaper about Ottmar Hitzfeld and I am not happy at these quotes which have been attributed to me."
It was previously reported on Sky Sports News that Shepherd said the following (full story here):
"There have been stories sweeping Tyneside about who I'm supposed to be meeting and where.
"It is highly organised and designed to make people a lot of money.
"There was even a 'leaked' full colour brochure doing the rounds in Newcastle which laid out Ottmar Hitzfeld's CV and his record as a manager.
"It's amazing the lengths people will go to to start a rumour which means they can bet for or against a certain person getting the job.
"But I can state here and now that there has been no approach to Hitzfeld and there are no plans to approach him.
"I've said all along we will take our time over this appointment. We've rushed into things before and we've made mistakes, I admit that.
"That's not the case this time. Glenn Roeder is an excellent caretaker, a really safe pair of hands, so we can afford to make sure we appoint the right man without the necessity of being hurried into it."
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