FANS have stepped in to save Newport Football Club from financial ruin.

A bid, understood to be in the region of £1m, has been lodged with the club's receivers after six days of frantic fundraising from the club's Supporters Trust.

The dramatic development took place on Tuesday this week.

Hours later, members of Isle of Wight Council's executive committee agreed to pay £675,000 to buy the club's training pitch.

If the deal between the council and the receiver goes ahead, the land will be used to provide access for a massive new housing and industrial development at the Pan Estate in Newport.

The council has already paid £5,000 to secure an option on the site - and land north of the training pitch.

A meeting of the full council will be asked to endorse the buy-out of the training pitch on December 11. The council then hopes to exchange contracts immediately after the meeting.

The 114-year-old club went into voluntary receivership two weeks ago after Portsmouth-based chairman, Bill Manuel, decided to recoup his 51 per cent stake in the club when the sale of the team's training pitch to developers fell through.

At first, supporters of the second-from-bottom Dr Martens Eastern Division Club were hopeful a buyer would come forward knowing that the receivers could only guarantee the club for the next three games.

On Monday, members of the Supporters Trust agreed to put in a bid to buy the 51 per cent stake in the club. They already own 49 per cent.

More on this story in tonight's Island Echo