Tranmere Rovers 'for sale' on ebay

Fans of English third division club Tranmere Rovers were bemused to find their club up for sale on popular online shopping and auction site eBay this week - a move prompting an angry reaction from owner Peter Johnson.

Johnson appointed American firm Dornoch Capital earlier this year to find a buyer for the club but said today he was shocked to discover it had been listed on the website for £6m.

"This is not a second-hand bike we're selling," Johnson was quoted in the Daily Mail.

An official statement on the the club's website (www.tranmererovers.co.uk) said Johnson had told Dornoch to withdraw the advert immediately.

"Mr. Johnson was very disappointed to discover that Dornoch Capital had chosen eBay.com as a route to find a potential buyer and would not have given them permission to do so had he been asked," the statement said.

Last month Tranmere appointed former England winger John Barnes as manager.