Newcastle United are gearing up for their first Champions League game in decades, against Paris St Germain, on Wednesday 4 September.

It comes just days after news emerged of United co-owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi being banned from driving for six months.

The driving disqualification came after cycling safety activist CyclingMikey shot video that purports to show Ghodoussi using his phone at the wheel in London.

The road safety campaigner said: "I was riding to work along Bayswater and this driver caught my attention as I saw him holding a phone in his driver's side rear view mirror. I followed along and filtered up next to the driver, where I videoed him having a phone call."

He then reported the incident to police.

Although he admits he wasn't 100% sure that the driver was Ghodoussi, London's Evening Standard newspaper has reported that Ghodoussi was disqualified from driving for six months by a judge at Bromley Magistrates’ Court.

The paper reported that he admitted failing to give the police required information about who was driving the vehicle and received the ban, in the court's words, “due to repeat offending”.

I was riding to work along Bayswater and this driver caught my attention as I saw him holding a phone in his driver's side rear view mirror. I followed along and filtered up next to the driver, where I videoed him having a phone call. Reported to the police, and he was disqualified in March 2023. I personally am not 100% certain whether this is Mehrdad Ghodoussi, but an Evening Standard court reporter looked up the case file and confirmed it. The penalties given in court were (cut and paste from the Met Police email) £660.00 fine, £100.00, costs, £264 surcharge. DISQUAL