WIGAN chairman Dave Whelan hopes Newcastle avoid relegation this season.

Last month Whelan said Magpies owner and business rival Mike Ashley had no class and that he got what he deserved at Newcastle.

But, while he admits Newcastle look likely to drop to the Coca-Cola Championship, he admitted he would like to see them stay up.

"Newcastle are such a big club, it would be a crying shame if they go down," he told Sky News.

"They've got a wonderful, wonderful set of supporters.

I can't imagine them going down. I know it's happened before, but I sincerely hope they don't go down.

"I think West Brom are already down. Middlesbrough and Newcastle look very, very likely, which is a shame because it's so awful fighting relegation in the Premier League.

"I'm very sorry for any club that goes down. It's heartbreaking."

Whelan played down his spat with Ashley, who has also clashed with the Wigan man in the business world.

"I don't dislike Mike Ashley," he said. "I think he's a very, very shrewd businessman.

"I get on very well with him actually, we've had one or two good nights out."