Dublin pub owner is possible Newcastle buyer

Dublin publican Charlie Chawke has emerged as being the man behind a new syndicate interested in buying troubled Championship club Newcastle, the Irishman said in a radio interview on Sunday.

Chawke is working with colleagues to put together a group with the financial means to buy Newcastle, up for sale by owner Mike Ashley following relegation from the Premiership.

The Dubliner previously had an interest in Sunderland with the Drumaville syndicate, however he is no longer involved at the Stadium of Light after American Ellis Short completed his buy-out in May.

Several consortia have matched owner Mike Ashley’s 100million pounds asking price for the Magpies, with groups from Malaysia and America understood to be leading the way.

However, no deal has yet been done, and Chawke – who in 2003 lost a leg in a hold-up in one of his pubs – views the prospect of buying the St James’ Park outfit as “a very viable option.”

Fellow publican Louis Fitzgerald, another member of the Drumaville Consortium, is also in favour of the deal. Speaking on Irish broadcaster RTE, he said: “We’re putting a syndicate hopefully together to do just that (bid for Newcastle).

“We had a great time in Sunderland. We have to look at options other than Sunderland and Newcastle would fit very nicely into our portfolio.”

Asked how many people he was looking to have in the syndicate, Chawke said: “We’re thinking about possibly the same as we had in Sunderland, about eight people maybe, depending on what money we can get.”

He added: “It’s a great club, it houses 52,000 people. It’s a great city, Newcastle.

“It’s a bit like Dublin – vibrant, full of fun… all the best things in life are there. It makes perfect sense if I could just swing it.”