Newcastle fine Bowyer £250,000

Newcastle United fined Lee Bowyer six weeks' wages yesterday for his part in Saturday's on-field fight with team-mate Kieron Dyer but confirmed that both players would remain at the club.

In a statement Newcastle described the fine as the maximum allowed, estimated by local media to total around £250,000, after the ugly incident minutes from the end of their 3-0 home defeat by Aston Villa at St James' Park.

Newcastle said it was the highest fine the club had ever handed out.

Former Leeds midfielder Bowyer, 28, was also "severely censured" and warned as to his future conduct for what the club described as "his attack on Kieron Dyer."

Dyer escaped punishment and manager Graeme Souness said that the club would be appealing on his behalf against his red card.

"The decision to fine and censure Bowyer was taken after chairman Freddy Shepherd and Souness interviewed both players this morning," the club said.

Yesterday's fine was the latest in a long line of punishments that Bowyer has suffered in his controversial career, beginning with an eight-week ban for testing positive for marijuana while a teenager at Charlton Athletic.

Earlier yesterday Bowyer and Dyer shook hands for the cameras outside the club's training ground as Souness confirmed that they would both be staying.

"They have been speaking over the weekend, they've had a laugh about it. Obviously, they both regret what has happened," Souness said.

¤ Aston Villa's German international Thomas Hitzlsperger will join VfB Stuttgart on a free transfer at the end of the season, the Bundesliga club announced yesterday. Hitzlsperger, who turns 23 today, is due to sign a two-year deal, with an option for a third year, Stuttgart announced. Hitzlsperger made his debut for Germany in October 2004 against Iran and has played four games under coach Juergen Klinsmann, who himself used to play in England's Premier League.