April Fool The best and biggest April Fool of them all. Alan Shearer is to leave his comfy sofa on the BBC to help rescue Newcastle United from relegation from the Premier League with the help of.... Iain Dowie!

Yep Dowie is finally moving north after all but the rumour that Gary Lineker is to sign on an emergency loan has yet to be confirmed.

Out of the blue this morning Newcastle's favourite son has announced he will finally go back home but probably not at a time most expected. Every Newcastle manager since Shearer retired from playing in 2006 has worked under the gauntlet that one day Shearer would be given the key to the manager's office and they would be turfed out. What now for Joe Kinnear and Chris Hughton I wonder?

Newcastle's run in is difficult and credit is due to Shearer for taking on their plight, but appointing Iain Dowie as your assistant? It's hardly an audacious start. Of course Geordies everywhere have their shirts off and are singing in the streets at the announcement, I just hope for their sakes this really isn't an April Fool. As for the rest of the country the Toon soap opera once again becomes more interesting than Coronation St.  ¶ 09:31