It has been rumoured for sometime that former chairman Freddy Shepherd is considering making a bid to buy back the club he and Sir John Hall sold to Mike Ashley in 2007.
There has been a hell of a lot of water passed under the Tyne Bridge in those three years - Keegan appointed; Keegan walks out; Shearer Toon boss; Shearer told he wasn't wanted; relegation; promotion; oh yes and we beat the Scum 5-1.
NUFC statement said: "There has been unfounded speculation today suggesting that Freddy Shepherd intends to put a consortium together in a bid to buy Newcastle United FC from its owner, Mike Ashley.
"The club can confirm that it has not received any contact from Freddy Shepherd expressing an interest in buying the club, nor is the club for sale.
"There has been unfounded speculation today suggesting that Freddy Shepherd intends to put a consortium together in a bid to buy Newcastle United FC from its owner, Mike Ashley.
"The club can confirm that it has not received any contact from Freddy Shepherd expressing an interest in buying the club, nor is the club for sale."
Ashley has put the club up for sale twice since he completed his £134.4million take-over, but took it off the market for the second time last season after no-one could come up with the £100m to buy it.
Please vote in our poll - who would the fans rather have - SHEPHERD, ASHLEY or NEITHER?
VOTE: http://www.newcastleunited-mad.co.uk/polls/voting_polls.asp
Shepherd's critics blame the decision to sack Robson - after the club finished 5th in the 2003-04 season - for the steady decline which followed.
City experts still predict that Ashley will sell if the right offer comes along ... but he insists he would not sell to Shepherd ... who has been very critical of Ashley's handling of the club.