NEWCASTLE UNITED have written to the Premier League to complain about the conduct of television presenter Richard Keys, and have threatened legal action over a tweet that alleged Alan Pardew had been involved in a physical altercation with Hatem Ben Arfa.

Newcastle officials have also written to Keys’ employers, BeIn Sports, to register their anger at the comments, which were posted on the former Sky presenter’s Twitter account on May 3.

The Magpies insist there is no truth to the suggestion Pardew and Ben Arfa were involved in a physical tussle, although Pardew had to respond to questions on the issue after Keys’ Twitter comments became public.

It is understood that the Newcastle hierarchy are refusing to grant Keys access to their players and staff, and are threatening legal action unless the presenter makes a public apology on his Twitter account.

Keys and his fellow presenter, Andy Gray, left Sky Sports in 2011 after making derogatory remarks about female assistant referee Sian Massey before a Premier League game between Wolves and Liverpool.

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MIKE WILLIAMSON has won the Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust Player of the Year award.

The centre-half did not feature in the first month of the season, but after being recalled to the first team during the half-time interval of September’s 3-2 defeat at Everton, he started the final 32 games of the season.

The award is Williamson’s first personal honour since arriving from Portsmouth in 2010, and is partly a recognition of his strong support for Newcastle’s community initiatives.

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REDCAR RACECOURSE is taking a leaf out of Willy Wonka’s book by staging a Golden Ticket competition at its Bank Holiday meeting on May 26.

The golden ticket will enable a winner and up to three friends to upgrade to a day they will never forget, featuring VIP entry, a race named in their honour, the presentation of a trophy and VIP dining.

The golden ticket draw is a celebration of the historic Zetland Gold Cup, which has been run annually at Redcar since the end of the Second World War.