Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer says 'we can only hope and pray' that Newcastle fans will eventually get the takeover they 'deserve'.
The takeover bid from PCP Capital Partners, the Reuben Brothers and the Saudi Public Investment Fund fell through on Thursday after they released a statement confirming they had pulled out of their bid to buy the club.
After 17 long weeks of the promise of an exciting post-Mike Ashley era at Newcastle, Magpies fans saw their dreams shattered after weeks of delay, opposition to the bid and then silence from the Premier League's decision makers.
Newcastle will now resume business as normal and in a statement this morning, managing director Lee Charnley said that while Ashley 'remains 100 per cent committed' to selling the club, he will now prepare the club for the new season and 'support Steve Bruce in the transfer market'.
But it is a crushing blow to supporters who pinned their hopes on the potential new regime and former Magpies captain Shearer shared their 'massive disappointment'.
"Big news but not good news if you are a Newcastle fan," Shearer told BBC Radio 5Live when asked about yesterday's announcement.
"There's a lot of anger, understandably so, and a massive amount of disappointment.
"They want their club to compete, they want their club to move forward, that's why yesterday was such a disappointing day.
"We can only hope and pray that new owners come in at some stage and take the club back to where it belongs because that's what the fans of Newcastle deserve."
