• Work on revamp began before Shearer criticism, club say • Bar's name is being changed from 'Shearer's' to 'Nine'

Newcastle United are adamant the ripping down of the iconic "Shearer's" sign at the entrance to the St James' Park bar named after the club's former striker is not connected to Alan Shearer's scathing deconstruction of Joe Kinnear's appointment as director of football.

Club officials said the wrecking crew began work on Wednesday, hours before Shearer's caustic comments were published. "It's purely coincidence," the official said, explaining that the decision to revamp the popular venue situated beneath the Gallowgate End was taken some time ago.

However, the fact that, eight and a half years after its opening, the bar is to be renamed "Nine" will inevitably be interpreted as a slight on the former England centre forward. Newcastle say Shearer has been kept abreast of developments and did not object to the switch to "Nine".

John Irving, Newcastle's finance director who is currently helping fill the void created by Derek Llambias's sudden resignation as managing director on Wednesday, said: "Shearer's Bar was immensely popular when it was first launched in 2004 but its popularity has dwindled over the years as this part of Newcastle has developed and new bars have opened around it.

"In transforming the site and opening the bar up to a wider range of visitors, it was important that a new name remained in-keeping with the club's history and heritage and Nine is certainly faithful to that. We have liaised directly with Alan to keep him abreast of the plans, which he has been appreciative of, and we're looking forward to launching Nine next month."

As part of a special launch event, Newcastle are planning to raise funds for the Alan Shearer Foundation, courtesy of a special charity auction of exclusive items to benefit the charity's work in supporting children, adults and families with disability across the north-east. It is unlikely that Kinnear will be attending after Shearer used his column in the Sun to lament his installation, something Kinnear announced in the media two days before Newcastle officially confirmed it.

"Right now people are laughing at the club I support and that sickens me," wrote Shearer. "I promised myself years ago to never be surprised by anything which happens in football, particularly when it came to Newcastle. But this situation really is stretching it a bit."

Shearer, who back in 2009 briefly took charge of Newcastle after Kinnear's first stint on Tyneside ended with the former manager being rushed to hospital with heart problems, feels considerable sympathy for Alan Pardew. "Newcastle have a manager who has just been totally undermined," he said. "I'm sure it will be a difficult situation. It's no way to treat a man who 12 months ago was manager of the year after guiding Newcastle to fifth place. He is in such an intolerable position.

"What are the players to think when Joe Kinnear can't even get their names right. It's all a PR disaster. Mike Ashley just keeps on making too many decisions which alienate the Newcastle fans. They deserve better, much better."