Newcastle finish top of UEFA group
Toon takeover talks continue
Trouble mars Nancy / Feyenoord tie
—– Although they come under heavy pressure, with a goalless draw at Eintracht Frankfurt, Newcastle United clinch the point they needed to finish top of Group H in the UEFA Cup.
The significance is it means that they avoid the Champions League teams who had failed to get through the group stages in the next round.
The injury ravaged Toon field their strongest side available. Six of their virtually untried substitutes remain on the bench.
Delighted manager Glenn Roeder says: “It has been a magnificent effort by a squad that is severely ravaged by injuries to finish with 10 points with three wins and a draw.”
Their success in Europe has come at the expense of a relegation struggle in the Premiership though.
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—– The Belgravia Group confirm that they remain determined to conclude a deal to takeover Newcastle United, and would like to be in control in time for the January transfer window.
The Jersey-based investment group had been expected to launch a £235million takeover earlier this month.
A spokesman insists: “We are still in talks which may or may not lead to a deal but from our perspective we are still very keen to do a deal.
“The transfer window is approaching and I think from both parties’ perspective that is something to focus the minds.”
Belgravia made its interest in the club public in the summer but, so far, have yet to make an offer for the Premiership club.
—– The UEFA Cup tie between Nancy and Feyenoord is suspended for more than half-an-hour following crowd trouble at the Marcel Picot stadium.
Nancy raced to a 3-0 lead before Dutch supporters try to smash the glass barriers in the stands and throw seats at stewards.
The game was stopped on 78 minutes and played to a finish after the delay.
Trouble was reported in the town before the game, and Feyenoord are already under investigation after Blackburn Rovers’ Morten Gamst Pedersen was hit by a plastic beer cup thrown from the crowd in last week’s UEFA Cup match in Rotterdam.
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