http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6758283.stm Billionaire businessman Mike Ashley is on course to withdraw football club Newcastle United from the stock market after lifting his stake to 77.06%. Mr Ashley runs the Sportsworld chain and Lillywhites. Newcastle is the latest club to succumb to a takeover as investors are lured by the world's richest football league. In the past few years, investors, mostly from overseas, have swooped for clubs including Manchester United, Liverpool, Aston Villa and West Ham. Last month Mr Ashley's company, St James Holdings, bought 41.6% of Newcastle's shares from Sir John Hall's family. Mr Ashley later convinced chairman Freddy Shepherd to sell his 28% stake in the Premiership football club. Analysts said that football clubs were seen as cash cows by many investors, especially after they re-negotiated overseas TV rights. Despite not winning any silverware since 1969, Newcastle is one of the UK's best-known and best-supported clubs, giving owners a large market for merchandising Newcastle is Europe's 13th wealthiest club by annual revenues. The club, famous for its black and white strip and Magpies nickname, has sell-out crowds of more than 50,000 at most home games. --

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