Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew has rubbished rumours he took the Newcastle United job over gambling debts owed to Mike Ashley.

Pardew says he was never given a chance by the Toon support.

"I went in there and immediately the stories started," he told the Daily Mail. "There were claims I had these huge casino debts. Nonsense. My friends will tell you I'm a proper tight-a**e when it comes to gambling. On the few occasions I've been in a casino I'll gamble no more than 50 quid.

"If I'd been someone else I may have got more recognition than I did. But there were other stories of how badly I was treated up there. I wasn't treated badly at all. On match days there was abuse, for sure.

"But away from the pitch there wasn't one incident or anywhere I couldn't go. Nobody was nasty to me. Nobody threatened me. Load of old tosh."