The companies are all said to have made approaches regarding buying a 9.9% stake in the club (this is the most a company can own while having an interest in other clubs). The companies concerned are:

• Telewest Communications (a big cable group), who do not yet own any bits of football clubs, although they are Dundee Utd's shirt sponsors. They also own Cable London (who provide cable to broughs including Islington). They used to only own 50% of cable london, but recently bought the rest from the second bidder...
• NTL (a big, err, cable group) who currently own 6% of Newcastle Utd,
• and an unknown third company, possibly BSkyB (well I never!). Sky already own bits of Man Utd, Leeds, and Man City.