Newcastle United and England football legend Alan Shearer is to open a Mearns gym following its name change.
Newlife Fitness Club in Laurencekirk – which won Young Business of the Year at the 2013 Courier Business Awards – was recently bought into by Speedflex Europe Ltd and has now changed its name.
Owner Gary Fairweather said: “Speedflex Europe Ltd launched in the UK in 2011 and has ex-England captain Alan Shearer among its ambassadors.
“The company’s backers include chairman Graham Wylie, the founder of Sage Software, and MD Paul Ferris, ex-Newcastle footballer and physiotherapist, who designed the Speedflex concept.
“Speedflex currently has sites in Newcastle, Leeds, London, West ByFleet and Dubai with more expansion planned in 2015.
“We are to be the first Speedflex Gym in Scotland and as part of this Alan Shearer is coming to sunny Laurencekirk on May 13 to officially open Speedflex Aberdeen Ltd.”
Shearer will be taking part in two 30-minute sessions with up to 30 of the Laurencekirk club’s members.
The striker played for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle before he retired in 2006.
Shearer is Newcastle’s and the Premier League’s record goalscorer and he also amassed 63 appearances and 30 goals for his country.
He is now a pundit, regularly appearing on Match of the Day, while his recent Barclay’s advert – where he reminisces about being taken to his first Newcastle game (including buying a pie) – has become an internet hit.
Shearer is no stranger to Courier Country – regularly appearing at the Alfred Dunhill golf pro-am tournament.