NEWCASTLE United supremos have joined The Evening Star's bid to solve Sir Bobby's burglary.Yesterday The Evening Star promised £1,000 for the return of Sir Bobby Robson's England caps, stolen by callous thieves during a burglary at his Ipswich home 18 months ago.

NEWCASTLE United supremos have joined The Evening Star's bid to solve Sir Bobby's burglary.

Yesterday The Evening Star promised £1,000 for the return of Sir Bobby Robson's England caps, stolen by callous thieves during a burglary at his Ipswich home 18 months ago.

Now Newcastle United chiefs have promised to stump up a whopping £10,000 from their own pockets if the caps are returned to their beloved manager.

Freddie Shepherd and Douglas Hall promised the cash after Sir Bobby revealed he only noticed the caps were missing last month.

Mr Shepherd said: "We know how much these caps mean to Bobby, that's why we want to stump up the money.

"Things are going really well for the team and this is the only dark cloud on Bobby's horizon.

"We thought it was the least we could do."

Sir Bobby made his managerial reputation by guiding Ipswich Town to glory in the 1970s and 80s.

He left to take up the England job, guiding the national team to the semi-finals in the 1990 World Cup.

After leaving England, he won trophies in Holland, Spain and Portugal before making an emotional return to his native north-east to manage his boyhood heroes.

Sir Bobby, who recently celebrated his 70th birthday, represented England 20 times and revealed his caps were stolen during a raid at the home he still keeps in Ipswich.

He said: "The England caps are the most precious items of my football career and I am appealing to anyone who may know anything to get in contact with me.

"When I found out about the theft my head could not hit the pillow, I could not sleep for two days afterwards."

Suffolk Police are still hunting the burglars. Anyone with any information should contact police on 01473 613500.