LONDON: Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley announced on Sunday he wanted to sell the troubled English Premiership club and revealed that he feared for his children's safety if he turned up at matches.

Ashley, a self-made billionaire, has become a hate figure with many of the north-east side's supporters who blame him for the resignation of popular manager Kevin Keegan.

"I am putting the club up for sale," Ashley said in a statement on Newcastle's website.