Roeder free to take Newcastle job

Roeder lifted Newcastle from 15th to seventh in the Premiership

Newcastle have been granted dispensation by the Premier League to appoint Glenn Roeder as manager.

Roeder, 50, does not have the required Uefa Pro Licence but fellow Premiership clubs have agreed Newcastle can now appoint him on a permanent basis.

Magpies chairman Freddy Shepherd said: "Should we wish to appoint Glenn as our next manager it is nice to know we have the support of our fellow clubs."

The club will make an announcement on the manager's post next Monday.

The Premier League had initially rejected Newcastle's request for dispensation last Thursday.

We have enjoyed a positive end to the season and the staff, players and fans can all look forward Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd

But Shepherd lobbied his fellow chairmen and they voted in favour of Roeder being allowed to gain the correct licence while in the job.

Roeder had previously enrolled on the course when he was struck down by a brain tumour in April 2003. He will begin his studies this June and will be qualified by the end of next season.

The former Newcastle defender, who was in charge of Newcastle's youth academy, took over as caretaker manager at St James's Park in February following the dismissal of Graeme Souness.

In that time he has turned around the club's fortunes, taking 32 points from 15 league games and guiding the club into the Intertoto Cup with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea on the last day of the Premiership.

Shepherd is now looking forward to another new era at the club.

"We have enjoyed a positive end to the season and the staff, players and fans can all look forward to the prospect of European football again next season," Shepherd said.

"We also have Alan Shearer's big testimonial game to look forward to on Thursday."

There has been opposition to the Premier League's decision from the League Managers' Association.

Their rules stipulate that applicants for any vacant manager's position should already have the necessary qualifications.

Former Charlton manager Alan Curbishley, who is on LMA committee said: "Everybody signed up to these rules and that is the way it is. It's unfortunate that Glenn Roeder has got caught up in it all."