Bertie Bee speaks out about his Turf Moor red card

Bertie got his marching orders when he jokingly went to hand the assistant referee a pair of glasses following a contentious decision in the first half.

Referee Andy Haines failed to see the funny side though, sending Bertie to the stands.

Michael Bradshaw, the man behind the bee, said if it kept the supporters entertained then it was well worth it.

“It was just a bit of fun. A few minutes into the game the linesman made a decision I didn’t agree with. So I got a pair of glasses off one of the supporters and pretended to give them to him. I wasn’t close to him or anything. He must have radioed it through to the fourth official though because then 10 minutes later the ref came over to me shouting ‘get him off, get him off’. I didn’t know he was talking to me at first because it had been 10 minutes earlier when I had done that. Then the stewards came and took me to the stands.

“Chris Gibson at the football club took the picture of me in the cell just before half-time. It’s great.”

The photograph has been a social media hit and it’s not the first time Bertie has made the headlines for his on the field antics. In 2003 he rugby tackled a streaker during Burnley’s game with Preston at Turf Moor. The video became an internet phenomenon, “It is like the Preston thing. It’s all good coverage for the club and that’s great. We’re doing really well and there’s a real good feeling around the club at the minute. Long may it continue.”

And the buzz around Turf Moor shows no sign of subsiding with the Clarets extending their lead at the top of the Championship to three points after beating QPR 2-0.