Shepherd plays down Shearer's Bellamy threat

Freddy Shepherd has played down reports that Alan Shearer warned former teammate Craig Bellamy he would "knock his block off " if he ever returned to Newcastle.

Bellamy, on loan at Celtic, reportedly sent insulting text messages to Alan Shearer after Newcastle's FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester United 10 days ago.

Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd moved to defuse claims that Shearer threatened to "knock seven bells" out of Bellamy.

Newcastle said in a statement: "Following media reports this morning the chairman wishes to make it clear that Alan Shearer has never said to him that he would knock seven bells out of anyone."

Shepherd had said: "It's true that messages were received from Bellamy's phone - but he got more than he bargained for from Alan Shearer.

"The text he sent to my son Kenneth was mildly upsetting but what he said to Shearer was insulting.

"It was along the lines that he was past it and his legs had gone and that he was going to come back here from Celtic. I can tell you there is no chance of that. Bellamy has taken on a hero in Alan and there is only one winner of that one. And it's not Bellamy.

"Alan might have thought twice about firing off a reply but he was so riled he reacted. He told Bellamy he would knock his block off if he ever set foot back in Newcastle."