Town chairman David Sheepshanks has said that despite being in administration the club are not about to be forced into any cut-price sales. Last week Newcastle United approached the administrators with a derisory £3 million offer for Darrens Ambrose and Bent and Matt Bloomfield.

Sheepshanks said in Wednesday's match programme: "This [Newcastle's offer] was firmly rejected and I wish to reiterate that there is neither pressure not reason for any cut-price deals being done for our best young players, irrespective of our current plight.

"Our aim, supported by our bankers and the administrator, is to maintain a challenge for the play-offs and then see where that takes us... a successful team is in the best interests of everybody involved.

"As to the manner of the approach, I suppose nothing should surprise us anymore but it is revealing that Newcastle should feel it appropriate or proper conduct to go behind our backs and not, to this day, to contact us directly."

The chairman also reveled that the club are considering offering early season tickets for next season with more details available soon.

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