Programme seller Joe Wallbank ended up in the medical room at Deepdale after Clarets left back Jon Harley accidentally cleared the ball - into his face.

During the final five minutes of the hotly-contested match Mr Wallbank - who sits on the front row of the Tom Finney Stand - was receiving treatment to a cut eye and a bloody nose.

Joe, 80, from Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley said: "It happened on ninety minutes. As the first aid man took me to the room the announcer said there was four minutes of stoppage time.

"I was surprised. I didn't see it coming; it must have been coming 50 miles per hour."

The pensioner was unable to react in time as Harley blasted the ball into touch from only 10 yards away - hitting him right between the eyes.

At the final whistle he was visited by the apologetic Harley, who gave Mr Wallbank his shirt.

And Burnley have agreed to pick up the £220 bill for a new pair of spectacles.

He added: "Five or ten minutes after the game had finished Harley came round to see me, he said that he was sorry, he was just clearing the ball – he gave me his shirt and said to contact Burnley if there was any more problems."

The incident capped off what has been an unlucky month for the pensioner.

Only a fortnight earlier he had fallen coming out of his local social club, cutting his other eye and smashing his glasses.

Joe added: "I was taken to A&E at Chorley and they glued it. It's not been my month."

Mr Wallbank is no stranger to being hit by flying footballs after he was accidentally hit during an FA Cup tie against Liverpool at Anfield.

But it was the first time that Joe, who has been attending matches at his beloved North End for 60 years, has been hit by a ball at Deepdale.