Newcastle chief says heads must roll

Newcastle owner David Thompson is calling for heads to roll among the Rugby Union hierarchy over their 'disgraceful' treatment of Rob Andrew.

The former Gosforth player, who rescued Premiership rugby on Tyneside when Sir John Hall retired to his Spanish villa, blamed the sport's governing body for driving Andrew to resignation from the Club England committee in weary protest at Twickenham's failure to enforce his peace plan they approved seven months ago.

Thompson said: 'They have used Rob's name and then abused it. I think the whole of the RFU's Management Board should resign. How can they stand there and claim they are managing the sport when the biggest decision they have taken, to implement the Andrew plan, has been overturned?

'As a man of principle, Rob has said: "I cannot be involved in this because it is not right." It's disgraceful the way he has been treated but who is resigning from the RFU? That's what irritates me.

'You have no idea how badly we feel about this at Newcastle. Rob feels let down and I'm upset, as he is. He and I worked hard to do something which the RFU accepted was in the best interests of English rugby.

'We worked very hard, too, on getting other Premiership clubs to back the RFU proposals and some took a lot of convincing. It was all agreed by the Management Board followed by the RFU council and then, suddenly, we discover it's not agreed.

'I spent months helping people only to be told: "Forget it". I feel as though I have been kicked in the teeth. If we ran our businesses like this, we'd all be bankrupt.

'What we see with the RFU is an organisation which is not constitutionally structured to take professional rugby forward. As clubs we all want to work within the RFU and I'm pleading: "Please help us deliver something which is for the good of the game and the England national team".'