Dennis Wise was back at Newcastle United earlier this week.

The Guardian says Wise finally ventured north of Watford on Tuesday night when he returned to St James' Park for the first time since Kevin Keegan's acrimonious departure. Newcastle United's reviled executive director (football) was an almost unnoticed figure in the directors box from where he watched Newcastle's reserves draw 1-1 with Hull City's second string.

Wise had not visited St James' since August but there were rumours that the former Leeds United and Millwall manager was contemplating attending Monday night's first-team match against Aston Villa, which they won 2-0. Though he eventually decided not to, Wise, blamed for provoking Keegan's departure by many Newcastle supporters, was spotted deep in discussion with Derek Llambias, the club's managing director, on Tuesday.

The previous week he had met Joe Kinnear, the team's interim manager, at the north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham and the pair are later understood to have discussed potential targets for the January transfer window.