Newcastle owner Mike Ashley could be forced to put the club into administration if former boss Kevin Keegan wins a massive compensation pay-out.
Press Association Sport understands some at the club fear Keegan could be awarded far in excess of the £9million which has been reported if he successfully argues his case.
That would have major financial implications for the cash-strapped club, with administration the most stark of a range of options.
Keegan's claim for constructive dismissal, which is being heard by a Premier League independent arbitration panel, is expected to reach a conclusion on Friday.
Should Ashley choose administration, the Magpies would lose 10 Coca-Cola Championship points, a penalty which would undermine their efforts to drag themselves back into the Barclays Premier League at the first attempt.
It is just over a year since Keegan left St James' Park for the second time as manager amid a furious bust-up over the club's transfer policy.
His departure came following the deadline day arrivals of striker Xisco and loan signing Ignacio Gonzalez, both allegedly without his knowledge.
His case is understood to rest on his claims that his position had become untenable, while Newcastle's defence is that he was fully aware of the way the recruitment set-up would work under Dennis Wise, then executive director (football), and that he walked out on his contract.
The two parties met in an attempt to find a solution days later, but were unable to do so, and arbitration talks since have also proved unsuccessful.
Comment 24 - 43 of 43
Sunderland fan through and through!
Sean please, please buy a dictionary if you're going to try and ridicule me, I think you will find it's "syndrome" "sympathy" did you not have time to learn how to spell and proper grammer between your bin dipping sessions.
It's quite obvious that the best part of you ran out at conception.
I have no doubt that whilst typing your bull with 1 hand the other is busy tugging away, think really that you are a Newcastle fan because you never seem to be off these pages.
Why don't you go and do something useful like playing in the motorway.
1st class @#$%.
Dirty black and white b@stards
just been diverted to this page from a few posts on the SAFC pages, about Sean A (post 24. )
This lad (child) should be removed from the yahoo mailing lists and should not be allowed to return. Sir Bobby Robson was a Legend in this part of the world, And it boils my p i s s when some little dragged up runt posts threds as such about a man like Bobby.
I'm a born Mackem and stand up for our own, as does all footy fans, But i do not agree with this little s h i t coming out with this sort of rubbish. Banter is Banter but he has taken this too far.
and your from @#$% newcastle, imbersile
Sean A is from scutty Grindon! Horrid little boy.
Hey Hey Hey jojo! that is not true, ive loved football since i was little, my granda and dad took me to games at the age of 4!, you don't know me! the only time you watch Sunderland is one match of the day! or you just watch live commentry over the internet! so be quite......and get back to your free - rate porn magazines, sad exuse of a Sunderland fan, enjoy watching the game this sunday on the tele. ill be there!
south stand
row 3
seat 681, dickwad
JojO, Sean's views and comments in no way shape or form reflect on you or any other Sunderland fan or your club whatsoever as far as I'm concerned.
Sean, you disgrace our team. Be fanatical without being abusive, distasteful or downright inhuman. Bobby Robson was a son, a father and grandfather. Your comments are a complete disgrace. You have nothing to do with football. Be quiet.
Mark your down sindrome, does not buy sympothy from me! and the smogs are bigger than you not just Sunderland! isn't this funny? the smoggy fans took relegation alot easier than you lot did, decent fans i say.
Now now lads don't pick on Sean you know it's not fair to have a battle of wits with an anarmed person.
More seriously, Sean I don't know which little fantasy world you've been living in (my personal opinion would be Barbie) but can't quite work out how you think Newcastle is a small time club. We have been getting higher gates than you for as long as I can remember, we havent't been a yoyo club for the last decade like you lot and the vast majority of posts by Newcastle fans on here are actually literate unlike most of your drivel I have read.
Let's face it bonnie lad (and I use that term very very loosely) Newcastle will always be the main team in the North East regardless.
laugh myself silly!, stupid fools!
jojo? when have i ever been assosiated with you? just because i comment on the same pages as you?
RED AND WHITE ARMY!
the sir bobsta was class don't get me wrong be it sure winds up you lot, HA HA HA
Er, disassociate myself drom Sean A, totally out of order in Sir Bobby Robson comment (and others)
Aw, c'mon boys, surely you can take a gentle poke now and again without getting all huffy....
I'll tell you something folks, I've read Sean A's posts and I dont know how many of you know this but Sean is a schoolboy.
I wont say how I know but those posts were not written by a schoolboy, they were written by an adult and if it's his dad, it could explain why sean is the way he is.
just read nufc's official statement regarding the tribunal "nufc will be making no comment at this present time"
no change there then
just got back from a holiday sean should've been at school & maybe learning something scroat - but this time you have overstepped the mark bringing bobby's name into arguments AGAIN
sean a..f cuk off you feckless little @#$%.
Small time club, with small time fans, just pissed me self laughing at the hitler/mike ashley parody on youtube! and its true! you fans are deluded! "big club" don't be silly you little @#$%
Sean don't be a little @#$% and bring Sir Bobby's name into this debate. F Off to your own forum. It's true that mackems are the worst 'fans' in the country but they are a bunch of bitter tossers regarding everything in life. I used to work in Sunderland as a qualified drugs practiconer and I would get clients complaining to me that, 'I was stealing their work and that I should F off back to Newcastle'. I was only trying to help them achieve some outcomes in life but anyways how was I stealing work from a £100 a day heroin addict beats me.
If you don't think we are a big club then get off our forums and blog about your team. My my, for a small time club we've defo got people talking about us.
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