The Sunday Mirror can reveal that owner Mike Ashley personally intervened in the final week of the transfer window to offer the Republic of Ireland keeper a six-year contract that would have earned him £50,000 a week and kept him at the club until 2015.
Toon Hit Back At Shay Given!
Joe Kinnear: "My conscience is clear over the departure of Shay Given. I did everything in my power to keep him at Newcastle.
"I went to Mike Ashley and the board and asked them to make Shay a really good offer. The outcome was we were willing to pay him £50,000 a week, for six years. That would have taken him to 39.
"We were also willing to give him a role as a goalkeeping coach when he retired. I thought that would have sorted it out but City topped our offer.
"Long before I took the manager's job I knew he was one of the best keepers in the world and there was no way that I wanted to lose him.
"I made my feelings known to the people that run the club but I don't think his leaving was down to money.
"If it was then I think the contract he was offered would have been enough to keep him here. It was a very good deal."
NEWCASTLE'S SEASON SO FAR:
WEST BROM 2 NEWCASTLE 3 (Duff, Lovenkrands, S.Taylor)
Harper, Steven Taylor, Bassong, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Ryan Taylor, Nolan, Butt, Duff, Ameobi (Viduka 80), Lovenkrands (Xisco 90).
Subs Not Used: Forster, Cacapa, Smith, Geremi, Edgar.
NEWCASTLE 1 SUNDERLAND 1 (Ameobi pen)
Harper, Taylor, Bassong, Coloccini (Edgar 90),Jose Enrique, Gutierrez, Butt, Nolan, Duff,Carroll (Lovenkrands 82), Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Xisco, Geremi, LuaLua, Donaldson.
NEWCASTLE 1 SUNDERLAND 1 (Ameobi pen)
Harper, Taylor, Bassong, Coloccini (Edgar 90),Jose Enrique, Gutierrez, Butt, Nolan, Duff,Carroll (Lovenkrands 82), Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Xisco, Geremi, LuaLua, Donaldson.
MAN CITY 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Carroll)
Harper, Edgar, Taylor, Bassong, Jose Enrique,Geremi (LuaLua 90), Barton (Lovenkrands 64), Coloccini, Duff,Owen (Gutierrez 19), Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Forster, Xisco, Donaldson, Inman.
BLACKBURN ROVERS 3 NEWCASTLE UTD 0
Given, Edgar, Bassong, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Duff (Gutierrez 79), Guthrie, Butt, N'Zogbia (Barton 74), Carroll, Owen.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Xisco, Taylor, Kadar, LuaLua.
(FA Cup 3rd Rd Replay) NEWCASTLE UTD 0 HULL CITY 1
Given, Edgar, Bassong, Coloccini, N'Zogbia,Gutierrez (LuaLua 82), Butt, Guthrie, Duff, Owen, Xisco (Carroll 76).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Taylor, Kadar, Donaldson, Ranger.
NEWCASTLE UTD 2 WEST HAM 2 (Owen, Carroll)
Given, Taylor, Coloccini, Bassong, Jose Enrique,Gutierrez, Guthrie, Geremi (N'Zogbia 62), Duff, Owen, Carroll. Subs Not Used: Harper, Xisco, Kadar, Edgar, LuaLua, Donaldson.
(FA Cup 3rd Rd) HULL CITY 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Given, Coloccini, Bassong, Taylor, Jose Enrique,Duff, Guthrie, Butt, N'Zogbia (Gutierrez 36), Owen, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Xisco, Geremi, Kadar, Edgar, LuaLua.
NEWCASTLE 1 LIVERPOOL 5 (Edgar)
Given, Edgar, Taylor, Coloccini, Jose Enrique (Ameobi 46), Gutierrez, Guthrie, Butt (Geremi 56), N'Zogbia, Duff, Owen (LuaLua 79).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Xisco, Kadar, Carroll.
WIGAN 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Guthrie pen)
Given, Beye (Taylor 38), Coloccini, Bassong, N'Zogbia, Gutierrez, Butt, Guthrie, Duff, Owen (Edgar 77),Viduka (Carroll 68).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Xisco, Geremi, LuaLua.
NEWCASTLE 2 SPURS 1 (N'Zogbia, Duff)
Given, Beye, Bassong, Coloccini, Jose Enrique (Duff 88), Gutierrez, Guthrie, Butt, N'Zogbia,Ameobi (Viduka 30), Owen.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Geremi, Taylor, Edgar, Carroll.
PORTSMOUTH 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 3 (Owen, Martins, Guthrie)
Given, Beye, Bassong, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Gutierrez, Butt, Guthrie, N'Zogbia, Martins (Ameobi 79), Owen.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Cacapa, Duff, Geremi, Taylor, Viduka.
NEWCASTLE UTD 2 STOKE CITY 2 (Owen 2)
Given, Beye, Coloccini, Bassong, Jose Enrique, N'Zogbia, Geremi (Cacapa 82), Guthrie (Taylor 46), Gutierrez, Owen, Martins (Viduka 74).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Xisco, Edgar, Carroll.
MIDDLESBROUGH 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 0
Given, Beye, Coloccini, Bassong, Jose Enrique, Gutierrez, Guthrie, Butt, N'Zogbia, Martins (Viduka 65), Owen.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Cacapa, Geremi, Taylor, Edgar, Carroll.
CHELSEA 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 0
Given, Beye, Coloccini, Bassong, Jose Enrique, Gutierrez (N'Zogbia 76), Guthrie, Butt, Duff,Martins (Ameobi 61), Owen.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Cacapa, Edgar, LuaLua, Carroll.
NEWCASTLE UTD 2 WIGAN ATH 2 (Owen, Martins)
Given, Beye, Bassong, Coloccini, Jose Enrique (N'Zogbia 68), Gutierrez (Owen 68), Barton (Guthrie 16), Butt, Duff, Ameobi, Martins.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Cacapa, Geremi, Carroll.
FULHAM 2 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Ameobi)
Given, Beye, Coloccini, Cacapa, Jose Enrique, Gutierrez (Owen 70), Butt, Barton, Duff, Martins, Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Guthrie, Bassong, N'Zogbia, Geremi,
NEWCASTLE UTD 2 ASTON VILLA 0 (Martins 2)
Given, Beye, Coloccini, Taylor, Jose Enrique, Gutierrez, Barton, Butt, Duff, Martins (Cacapa 88), Ameobi (Owen 90).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Guthrie, Bassong, N'Zogbia, Geremi.
NEWCASTLE UTD 2 WEST BROM 1 (Barton pen, Martins)
Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Duff,Guthrie, Barton, Gutierrez (Geremi 70), Martins (Xisco 77),Ameobi (Carroll 90).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Bassong, N'Zogbia, Edgar.
SUNDERLAND 2 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Ameobi)
Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, Bassong (Jose Enrique 84), Geremi (Gutierrez 73), Guthrie, Butt (Barton 85), Duff, Ameobi, Martins.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Cacapa, N'Zogbia, Xisco.
NEWCASTLE UTD 2 MAN CITY 2 (Ameobi, Dunn og)
Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, Bassong, Geremi, Guthrie, Butt, Duff, Martins (N'Zogbia 72), Ameobi (Carroll 79).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Cacapa, Jose Enrique, Xisco, Edgar.
EVERTON 2 NEWCASTLE UTD 2 (Taylor, Duff)
Given, Taylor, Coloccini, Cacapa,Jose Enrique (Bassong 39), Geremi (Ameobi 75), Butt, Guthrie,N'Zogbia, Owen, Duff.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Xisco, Edgar, Doninger, Donaldson.
NEWCASTLE UTD 1 BLACKBURN R 2 (Owen pen)
Given, Bassong, Taylor, Coloccini, Cacapa, Geremi (Ameobi 71), Butt, Duff, N'Zogbia (Edgar 82), Xisco, Owen.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Tozer, Doninger, Donaldson, Ranger.
(Carling Cup)NEWCASTLE UTD 1 TOTTENHAM HOT 2 (Owen)
Given, Geremi, Taylor, Coloccini, Bassong,Cacapa (Edgar 72), Butt, N'Zogbia, Owen, Duff (Xisco 72),Martins.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Ameobi, Tozer, Doninger, Donaldson.
WEST HAM UTD 3 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Owen)
Given, Edgar (Bassong 59), Taylor, Coloccini,N'Zogbia, Geremi, Cacapa (Gonzalez 81), Butt, Duff, Owen, Xisco.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Ameobi, Tozer, Doninger, Donaldson.
NEWCASTLE UTD 1 HULL CITY 2 (Xisco)
Given, Edgar (Bassong 68), Taylor, Coloccini,N'Zogbia, Geremi, Butt, Guthrie, Xisco, Owen,Ameobi (Gonzalez 61).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Cacapa, Danquah, Doninger, Donaldson.
ARSENAL 3 NEWCASTLE UTD 0
Given, Coloccini, Jose Enrique (Bassong 44), Taylor,Gutierrez (Barton 89), Guthrie, Butt, Beye (Edgar 89),N'Zogbia, Owen, Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Tozer, Donaldson, Ranger.
(Carling Cup) COVENTRY CITY 2 NEWCASTLE UTD 3 AET (Dann og, Milner, Owen)
Given, Beye, Coloccini, Bassong, Jose Enrique,Milner, Geremi (Owen 75), Butt, Guthrie, N'Zogbia, Gutierrez.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Taylor, Edgar, Tozer, Donaldson, Ranger.
NEWCASTLE UTD 1 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 (Owen)
Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, N'Zogbia, Milner,Butt, Guthrie, Gutierrez, Martins (Owen 53), Duff (Geremi 46).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Jose Enrique, Bassong, Smith, Edgar.
MANCHESTER UNITED 1 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Martins)
Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, N'Zogbia, Milner, Butt, Guthrie, Gutierrez, Duff, Martins.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Jose Enrique, Bassong, Smith, Geremi, Edgar, Donaldson.