Newcastle laughing stock as Mike Ashley puts club up for sale online

Mike Ashley heaped fresh ridicule on Newcastle United yesterday - by putting the Geordies up for sale by email.

The relegated club asked multimillionaires wanting to buy the club to send their bids to admin@nufc.co.uk - and immediately the club was flooded with joke offers from incredulous rival fans.

Newcastle will now be able to claim massive interest in a buyout... as their email box exploded into life.

One Sunderland supporter started the bidding at 10p, it later rose to £1 and others posed as fake sheikhs, as rivals took to ridiculing the men in Fury was growing last night over the treatment of bossin- waiting Alan Shearer.

The legend is desperate to take charge as manager, but has had just one conv e r s ation with managing director Derek Llambias in the last 11 days. Last night Shearer remained in limbo as the club reached a new low. Ashley issued a statement setting his price at £100million to warn off cutprice bidders hoping to get a bargain at £75-80m.

He will write off £150m of his own cash to get a sale. The club statement said: "Interested parties should contact Newcastle United at admin@nufc.co.uk (or Keith Harris at Seymour Pierce) for further details."

Harris, the banker charged with selling Newcastle alongside their email auction, claims a sale could go through in three weeks - but it could drag on for twice that.

Shearer returned from a short break in Portugal yesterday and friends indicate he has had no contact over his future.

He is still keen to take over but Ashley's indecision is testing his patience. N e w c a s t l e U n i t e d Supporters Club demanded that Shearer's status be clarified.

A spokesman said: "Mr Ashley can resolve the instability at the club by making a decision that will make Newcastle United a more saleable asset by appointing Alan."

Shearer's mate Rob Lee said: "Alan is the only man for the job." Newcastle are understood to have put most of their players on the transfer list in a bid to lighten their wage bill.

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