Caretaker manager Trevor Brooking reveals: "Crainey is out of it now because the shop window affects Scottish clubs, so we couldn't get him.
"We were looking and in the end it was a bit unlucky because they weren't really prepared to let him go.
"Then, at the last minute, they took Michael Gray from Sunderland on a three-month loan.
"But the poor lad probably won't get much of a look-in now."
Stephen is a Scottish international who has also been linked with, amongst others, Aston Villa and Leicester.
Attentions have now moved south of the border - though not too far south - to St. James' Park.
Adds Trevor: "The Newcastle pair, the likes of Robbie Elliott and Wayne Quinn, I think we need because of Rufus' injury and the importance of getting a left-back in.
"I am sure we will try and get one of those in before Saturday, quite frankly."
This may or may not be before a new manager is appointed, and Trevor explains: "We are short of at least three players in the squad and it is not ideal to bring people in at the moment until you are sure what the managerial situation is going to be - because they might obviously have someone in mind.
"So you don't want to lock up too many extra people unless you are sure they are going to be the right ones.
"There is no panic because a lot of people are away with internationals; as long as the player is here by Thursday and Friday, which will be the two main training days when everyone gets back, and we can start to see who is fit and who isn't."
It is once more a case of fingers crossed with so many players away on international duty and Trevor says: "People like David Connolly, Jermain Defoe, Hutch, Christian, and Richard Garcia, who is with Australia, are away so there will be a roll call on Thursday to see who emerges unscathed during that week.
"It is a bit of a shame because Reading aren't affected by that and have been training pretty regularly with their consistent squad, working on us, whereas we won't have everyone together until Friday morning."
But Trevor is confident of landing one of the Geordie duo who have found it difficult to get a game at left back of late.
Olivier Bernard, who declared he wanted to join West Ham last summer, has played there, as have Gary Speed and even Aaron Hughes, who is right footed.
Robbie Elliott is a local product who went to Bolton for a number of years before returning to Newcastle, while Wayne Quinn, who spent some time on loan at Sheffield United last season, came to Newcastle from Sheffield Wednesday and is a former England under-21 international.
Concludes Trevor: "It is an 'either - or' with the two Newcastle lads and I think we will end up with one of them."