Newcastle United have backed Pardew - by insisting weekend newspaper reports that a failure to beat Aston Villa on Sunday will result in the sack are “untrue”.
Ashley has reacted by banning the Sunday Express who ran the story.
NUFC statement read: “The Club feels it necessary to respond to the article published in the Sunday Express newspaper, headlined ‘Pardew’s One Game From Sack - Beat Villa or it’s the Bullet’, and claimed as an ‘exclusive’ by the paper.
"The article was written by John Richardson.
“We consider it extremely poor practice for a newspaper to print such an article without first seeking comment or clarification from the Club.
“The article was completely untrue and we can only assume published for commercial reasons or as an attempt to unsettle and disrupt.
“The article also created subsequent ill-informed and damaging coverage in other media outlets and across social media.
“To publish an article of such nature gives the profession of journalism a bad name. Journalists and newspapers which print such wholly inaccurate stories should be aware that there will be consequences for their actions.
“Newcastle United will not accept false, misleading, mischievous or inflammatory reporting such as this and will take appropriate action as and when necessary.
“To this end, Newcastle United can confirm that the Sunday Express is banned with immediate effect.
“This ban does not extend to the paper’s sister publications, including the Daily Star, who made contact with the Club to check the validity of the story and accordingly did not publish it.”