Newcastle United, so often the source of swathes of column inches, dropped a bombshell on April Fool’s Day when it emerged that Toon legend Alan Shearer would be taking over as manager until the end of the season.

But The Sun reported that the tasty rumour was in fact not a joke and the club had decided to call a press conference on April 2nd to unveil their former striker in order to avoid any cheap April Fool’s related gags like the one we've just made.

It will be the 38-year-old's first job in management, and presumably means convalescing Magpies boss Joe Kinnear will not return to St James’ Park, and Shearer will be charged with the small matter of saving his beloved club from relegation.

The Daily Mail continue the story and claim that although Shearer will perform all the duties of a manager his actual title is yet to be decided.

Shearer won the hearts of the Geordie nation when he rejected the opportunity to play for Manchester United and instead moved from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle in a British record transfer of £15million in the summer of 1996.

But, since retiring as player, he has rejected several opportunities to work as a coach or manager until being won over by Newcastle's current plight.

From one crisis club to another: the Daily Express report that the parent company of Southampton Football Club has suspended it's shares and if Southampton Leisure Holdings cannot find additional finance it would be unable to continue as a viable business.

The club had failed to agree an extension of its overdraft with Barclays and with the administrators standing by Southampton are hoping the parent company, rather than the club itself, will take the fall and will save it from having points docked by the League Championship.

In England news The Times claim that national team manager Fabio Capello will turn to Peter Crouch to spearhead his attack in Wednesday night's World Cup qualifying tie against Ukraine.

The Italian conceded that Crouch was his fourth choice to lead the line after injuries to Emile Heskey, Carlton Cole and Darren Bent, but after four victories in four group six matches, Capello felt sufficiently buoyed by England’s form and progress to break with his usual custom and reveal that the Portsmouth striker will be in the starting line-up.

Meanwhile over in Scotland things have got so bad for George Burley's injury-hit squad that two of his players turned to drink following the weekend’s 3-0 defeat in Holland.

The Guardian report that Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor have been dropped from the team for Scotland's World Cup qualifier with Iceland following a drinking session at Scotland's Loch Lomond base. It is alleged the Rangers duo carried on drinking in front of guests at the Cameron House Hotel hours after their team-mates had drifted off to their rooms, much to Burley's anger.

And finally... Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is lining up a £4m offer for former Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze as the Argentine nears the end of his contract with Spanish champions Real Madrid, according to the Daily Telegraph.