Freddy Shepherd (29 October 1941 – 25 September 2017) was an English businessman and the chairman of Newcastle United football club from 1997 until 2007. During his time at Newcastle, both as an active assistant to and later replacement of Sir John Hall as chairman for ten years, Shepherd proved an often outspoken and controversial figure, at times alienating the club's support. Life and career Freddy Shepherd was born in Gilsland, Northumberland into a working class home, the son of a lorry driver; and with his brother Bruce, he expanded a road haulage business into a number of marine and related businesses. He also engaged in property development through redevelopment of the former ship facilities along the River Tyne. The assets of the company now include Mitford Hall. The Shepherd brothers often worked with Sir John Hall, who owned the property development business Cameron Hall Developments, and who had become a key share-holder in Newcastle United. After Hall's vision of building Newcastle into a sporting club along the lines of A.S. Roma or FC Barcelona, he looked to consolidate the operations of Newcastle United. Shepherd Offshore had started to build a holding in Newcastle United, and so Shepherd became involved in the football business, alongside Hall's son Douglas Hall. Newcastle United Initially, Shepherd became involved with the consolidation of the Newcastle sporting club to just Newcastle United, selling or reducing Hall's controlling stakes in: Newcastle Falcons rugby team, Newcastle Eagles basketball team; and the then Newcastle Cobras ice hockey team. In 1996, Shepherd was tasked by Hall with bringing Alan Shearer to the club, which he did for a-then world record fee. The confidence Shepherd showed in completing the deal persuaded Hall, who wanted to retire to Spain, to effectively offload the day-to-day running of the club to Shepherd as chairman, and his son Douglas as the active Hall family member on the board. Bruce Shepherd continued to run Shepherd Offshore, while Freddie Shepherd became chairman of Newcastle United F. C. Finances Shepherd owned almost all of his Newcastle shares through Shepherd Offshore. Unlike the Halls, who had been steadily selling off their shares since flotation in 1997, the Shepherds increased their holding. They owned 28.01% of the club, up from about 22% in April 2005. Since 1997, the Shepherds have made £8,351,298 from Newcastle United, £5,489,239 in share dividends and £2,862,059 in salaries. In 2005, Shepherd's annual salary from