 Newcastle United's management was under fire last night over a new wave of damaging allegations involving controversial director Douglas Hall. Raising echoes of the infamous "Toongate" row in 1998, a club spokeswoman would only say: "We have no comment to make. This is a private and personal matter." A London-based Sunday newspaper reported a series of claims by two women involving Mr Hall and Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards while they were in Geneva at the time of the draw for the second phase of the Champions League. Supporters and shareholders say that, because he was in Geneva at that time, it cannot be a "personal matter". Mark Jensen, editor of the Newcastle United fanzine The Mag, said: "These revelations, if they are true, coming just days after his huge salary hike was revealed at the club's AGM, make Mr Hall's position extremely precarious. "If a director of any other business found himself on the front page of a national newspaper then his position would be in jeopardy." Kevin Fletcher, editor of another fanzine, The Talk of the Tyne, said: "I think it is time for him to go." As in 1998 - when Mr Hall was caught on tape by an undercover reporter describing North-East women as "dogs" - club officials remained resolutely silent yesterday. Last week, Mr Hall, came under fire from Newcastle United shareholders over the £524,257 salary he is paid for his role as a non-executive director and as executive director of Newcastle United Football Club (International) Ltd - an overseas marketing operation based in Gibralter. Last night, Ian Gilmour, spokesman for the Independent Newcastle United Supporters Association, said: "This silence must have damaged the club's image and business standing." Mr Hall could not be contacted for comment last night. | 
