September 29, 2008	Monday	Ramazan 28, 1429

LONDON, Sept 28: A consortium of South Africa businessmen were on Sunday reported to be interested in purchasing crisis-ridden Premier League side Newcastle.

Newcastle have already been in talks with a group of Nigerian tycoons trying to put together enough funds to meet owner Mike Ashley’s 400 million pound asking price.

Now it’s emerged that a second white knight may be on the horizon in the shape of a group of British-based tycoons whose fortune has been made from rescuing and rejuvenating household brands around the world.

A report in The News of the World suggests the South Africans have put together a 350m pound offer.

“We are serious about Newcastle, we believe they are an iconic institution who deserve to be run professionally,” an unnamed spokesman for the South Africans told the paper.

The spokesman added that Kevin Keegan, who quit as manager this month, was the key to the group taking control, with another favourite son of the Tyneside club, Alan Shearer, also in their thoughts.

He said: “Kevin is integral to our plans. We want Kevin to be fully committed to the team and we hope to find a role for Alan Shearer.

“We are not personalities.

We like to be in the background, we need to be in the background.”

The group are confident of turning around Newcastle’s fortunes.—AFP