Video: relive those classic Keegan matches

As Newcastle United continued their purge of Kevin Keegan's influence at St James' Park, removing Terry McDermott from his post as assistant manager, supporters were asked yesterday to channel their fury at the club's hierarchy by shunning official merchandise. The assessment of recent events on Tyneside from fanzine editors was withering: “gross incompetence and mismanagement”.

During another day of bloodletting, McDermott, a long-time acolyte of Keegan, and Adam Sadler, the reserveteam coach, left. Chris Hughton, previously the first-team coach, will serve as caretaker manager while a permanent appointment is sought and is expected to take charge of the team at home to Hull City on Saturday. He will be assisted by Richard Money and Alan Thompson, who have been working with the club's academy.

For many fans, the identity of Keegan's successor is of less importance - Gustavo Poyet is the bookmakers' favourite - than securing the departure of Mike Ashley, the Newcastle owner. While the sports retail luminary has consistently denied speculation that he is prepared to sell the club he bought last year, that is the widely desired outcome.

After a disappointing summer in the transfer market and Keegan's resignation last week, Ashley has been told that his continued tenure on Tyneside is intolerable. In a passionate, eloquent statement, The Mag and true faith fanzines rejected a proposed boycott of the match against Hull but called for Ashley's business interests to be targeted.

“Like many Newcastle United supporters, we have been sickened by the events of the last week and the departure of Kevin Keegan from his position as manager of our club,” they said. “We believe Kevin had little alternative but to resign, given the gross incompetence and mismanagement of Dennis Wise, executive director of football, and Derek Llambias, managing director, who, like Kevin, were appointed by Mike Ashley.

“While Kevin Keegan remained at Newcastle, the fans trusted that the club was moving forward at last. With Keegan's departure, all trust has gone. Both The Mag and true faith believe there has been a fundamental break in trust between board and the support.”

In requesting “an immediate and indefinite boycott of Newcastle United merchandise”, from replica shirts to patronage of club bars and catering outlets, as well as Ashley's Sports Direct empire, supporters hope to make a financial impact that the billionaire businessman will feel directly. The match against Hull and those that follow will also feature a release of anger.

“We advocate supporters vocally expressing their disgust against the current regime, whether they are at the match or not, which will act as a clear demonstration of the antipathy of supporters towards Ashley, Llambias and Wise,” the statement read. “There should be no abuse directed at any Newcastle United player.

“We insist that Mike Ashley does not attend away games among the travelling support. He is not a Newcastle United supporter and as far as true faith and The Mag are concerned he is not welcome among our ranks. If any effort is made by Ashley to attend future away games, we would recommend the away support to vocally remind him he is not wanted among us. We do not advocate violent disorder of any description.”

A long campaign is expected. The chances of Ashley being forced out appear mixed, but one prospective bidder for Newcastle - as revealed in The Times on Saturday - offered a glimmer of optimism last night with a denial of an earlier report that ruled out the possibility.

Gaurav Wahi, the vice-president of Reliance Communications - whose majority stakeholder, Anil Ambani, is claimed to be the world's sixth-richest person - denied describing the story as inaccurate. Wahi stated: “The quote attributed to me surprised me as I have not spoken to anybody.”

While Wahi would add nothing further, representatives of Ambani's are said to be in London to discuss the possible purchase of a Barclays Premier League club.

Alan Shearer, Slaven Bilic and Marcelino García Toral, the Real Zaragoza coach, have ruled themselves out of the running to replace Keegan.