Former Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd has urged fans to get behind owner Mike Ashley.

Shepherd remains unhappy with the way Ashley bought the club.

But he told the Sunday Express: "I am still a massive Newcastle fan. True to say Mike and I have not always seen eye to eye but you've got to give him some of the credit for what is happening this season.

"I think it's time for the fans to get fully behind him and give him a chance. After all, no one really owns Newcastle because it's simply a football institution.

"Maybe he is right in his policy and I was wrong. Maybe we gave our managers too much money to spend in the transfer market. I reckon we spent around £300m on players like Alan Shearer, David Ginola, Les Ferdinand, Tino Asprilla and Michael Owen.

"Though we never won anything, it was still a great adventure for everyone connected with Newcastle. We were known all over the world. I have a photo of the day they pulled down Saddam Hussein's statue in Iraq - there was a guy with a Toon shirt beside it.

"The fans are now clearly behind Alan Pardew and the team, and if they get behind the directors the only way they can go is up."