UPDATED: FC Dallas owner in running to buy Newcastle United

by PegNews wire

Clark Hunt, FC Dallas, Columbus Crew, and Kansas City Chiefs owner, is reportedly on the very-short list of American businessmen interested in buying Newcastle United of the English Premier League. Clark Hunt is the son of Lamar Hunt, a beloved sports promoter in the U.S. and co-founder of the North American Soccer League (NASL) and the MLS. The Hunt Sports Group established ties to Newcastle recently through FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman's grandson, Emerson. The 12-year-old was scouted by the English club and is considered a future star in U.S. soccer.

(UPDATE: Hunt is now denying any interest in buying Newcastle.)

The second name on the short list is Phil Anschutz, who at one time owned half of the MLS teams. Currently the owner of AEG, which in turn owns L.A. Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo, Anschutz is seen as the front-runner for obtaining Newcastle.

Also rumored to be interested in Newcastle is Dallas Mavericks and HDnet owner Mark Cuban. However, there is nothing about it on his blog and little more in other media reports to substantiate his involvement in bidding.

Current Magpies owner Mike Ashley is reportedly asking $450 million for the team, though he paid $225 million when he purchased Newcastle in July 2007. Newcastle, along with a number of other EPL teams, is known for its feverish, if not sometimes out-of-their-minds-crazy, fan base. Ashley told another news source that he couldn't take his own kids to a soccer game for fear of being assaulted, as club owners are blamed pretty heavily for their team's failings. English media and fans remain highly critical of the American owners of Manchester United and Aston Villa, despite the money they've poured into the programs and the undeniable improvements in the teams' seasons.

Good luck to whomever gets Newcastle. The "Toon Army" is notoriously hard to please.

Posted by Erin