Graham Carr to stay at Newcastle despite Joe Kinnear's appointment - The Guardian

Graham Carr is set to stay at Newcastle United following a meeting with Mike Ashley, the club's owner. Newcastle's super-scout was widely regarded as de facto director of football before Joe Kinnear's shock appointment to that newly formalised role and had been considering his position on learning he would be answerable to the former Wimbledon manager.

Although Carr and Alan Pardew have not always seen eye to eye with Newcastle's manager frustrated by his inability to have the final say on signings, some of which he disagreed with, Carr has made some excellent buys, most notably Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye.

Carr's departure would have left Kinnear solely responsible for recruitment but now the pair will work together, with recruiting a striker – possibly Aston Villa's Darren Bent – their top priority. Meanwhile Douglas, the FC Twente defender is reported to be heartbroken by the late collapse of his long mooted move to Newcastle, which was due to be finalised this week but instead ended up being vetoed by Kinnear at the 11th hour.

Meanwhile Alan Shearer has rebutted the suggestion from John Irving, Newcastle's financial director that the club had liaised with him over the name change which will see St James' Park's iconic Shearer's bar re-invent itself as a venue called "Nine" when it re-opens next month.

"There was no consultation," said Shearer. "I was simply informed by email of the decision to change the name, it was not a question of agreeing or disagreeing. It's their ground and it's up to the owners to do what they want with it. It won't stop me from buying my season ticket and supporting the team."

Although it was a coincidence that news of the name change emerged shortly after Shearer criticised Kinnear's appointment, the long planned switch can be seen as a clear reflection of Ashley's lack of affection for the club's former centre-forward.

Shearer is still adored by Newcastle fans who will regard Irving's comment that the popularity of "Shearer's" bar had "dwindled" as a slight on the one-time England striker.