Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd is reported to have spoken to Frank Williams about the possibility of the Formula 1 boss buying a stake in the club, according to some of the Sunday papers.

Shepherd is believed to want Williams to partner him in a bid to take over the club from under the nose of current owner Douglas Hall. At the moment Shepherd only has a small interest in the club and is believed to need a backer if he is to take full control.

Hall's stake, the largest shareholding is 48%, so Shepherd and Williams will have to put a very lot of money up if they are to take full control. The story maybe worrying news for Newcastle fans but they should remember that at this moment it is all purely newspaper speculation. Having said that, a meeting between Williams and Shepherd has rumoured to have already occurred last week.