And Sir Bobby Robson's biography certainly didn't help Freddy's popularity, the way he stabbed Bobby in the back to get him out of the club.
Although Freddy puts his side of the story and claims he was in hospital at the time and didn't know Robson had been sacked.
Rather strange, don't you think, a chairman not knowing the manager had been booted out?
And one fan mentioned this week at the Stoke game: "He's the bloke who bought Michael Owen! Says a lot doesn't it!"
Well I wouldn't hold him responsible for Owen's outcome. After all, all Freddy was doing was backing the manager at the time.
But anyway ... let's live and let live ...the former Toon tycoon has done some GOOD this week.
Shepherd and the Freemen of Newcastle have paid £50,000 to save the city’s under-threat Lord Mayor’s carriage.
Steeped in history, the future of the 19th Century carriage was at risk when it was put up for sale by cash-strapped council chiefs.
But now it’s thought the horse-drawn “statesman” will take pride of place alongside Mr Shepherd’s fleet of luxury motor vehicles at the former Palace of Arts in Newcastle’s Exhibition Park.
Built in 1898 and currently insured for £80,000, the carriage was previously kept at the Lord Mayor’s official residence, the Mansion House in Jesmond.
Coun Nick Forbes, leader of the city council, opted to “sell off the family silver” as he fought to implement a three-year plan that would see £100m wiped from the budget.
It was feared the carriage could have been snapped up and moved away from its home.
Now Mr Shepherd, who owns the Shepherd Offshore business on the north bank of the Tyne, has teamed-up with Freemen chairman Sir Len Fenwick to buy it.
The 60-year-old said: “I heard Sir Len was interested in the carriage and he’s a good friend so I gave him a call.
“I realise £50,000 is not a lot of money compared to the council’s £100m budget plan, but we wanted to help the city.
“We wanted to retain it for the city so the carriage was not taken overseas or elsewhere in the country. It’s fantastic that something with such history that gave so much civic pride can be kept in the city for future generations to view.”
The carriage has been used by Newcastle’s Lord Mayors for more than 100 years on important occasions.