The reclusive Mr Ashley now has a lot more front

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Shortly after, Ashley departed, along with 10 other Newcastle fans — mainly club stewards — in a second-hand minibus. And an hour later, the 43-year-old former recluse stood in the away end at the Stadium of Light, decked out in a black and white shirt.

Talk of the Toon: Ashley enjoys a belly laugh at Sunderland

He posed for pictures, even lifting his shirt to reveal the spot where some of the cash he did not spend on acquiring Newcastle — thought to be £200million and rising — appears to be going.

His transformation has been remarkable. He moved into football by buying Newcastle in June without a due diligence check, while a Hertfordshire newspaper even placed an advert in their own pages in a bid to uncover something about their resident. No one replied.

Ashley, who made his £1.9bn fortune from a sports goods empire, has taken his desire for anonymity to extremes. Organisers at one charity dinner he attended were instructed to remove his name from the list of winning bidders and he was missing from snaps of the diners when pictures were distributed.

He has only given one newspaper interview and was called 'Britain's answer to Howard Hughes' by Philip Beresford, compiler of the Sunday Times rich list for Britain. Ashley stands joint 25th.

His first sighting at a Newcastle game, away to Middlesbrough in August, saw him dressed in a black and white shirt with the name of Alan Smith on the back.

Spreading the wealth: Ashley is a hit with the fans in the stands and clubs

'I bought this club to become part of its passion and it's worked,' he said. 'I feel at home here. I love the place, the club and especially the fans. Who wouldn't? I want to have fun and win some trophies.'

Later that night he was refused admission to a Tyneside nightclub because of his attire but went in once it was established who he was. He bought everyone a drink and left staff a £10,000 tip. There is now a new dress code: no football strips unless worn by Newcastle's owner.

Ashley insists he does not want to sell but a serious offer for the club from overseas may prove too good to resist. For now, though, the Buckinghamshire-born billionaire with a soft spot for Tottenham, is revelling in the fan-tastic perks of being Newcastle's owner.