Back to the Newcastle United Newsfeed

Phone company boss 'is recorded claiming call records used as key evidence in Rio Ferdinand's missed drugs test case were paid for and his firm 'protected' Newcastle owner Mike Ashley's text message logs during High Court case’

The boss of an exclusive mobile phone company has reportedly boasted about how his firm can change mobile phone records for his wealthy clients - and claims thousands was paid to a Vodafone employee for the phone records of footballer Rio Ferdinand during an investigation into his missed drugs test.

John Shepherd, who runs Sport Mobile, was recorded claiming that a secret payment of £20,000 was paid to a Vodafone employee for evidence key to an FA probe into the former Manchester United and England defender, the Times today reports.

As part of an undercover investigation, the paper also reports that Shepherd claimed that he helped Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley, who also owns Premier League side Newcastle United, during his civil court battle with a former business associate.