Burnley chairman Alan Pace has taken aim at Blackburn Rovers in the row over away fan allocation for next month's derby at Ewood Park.

The two sides are set to play their second East Lancashire derby of the season on Tuesday 25th of April, which means that the Clarets may have clinched the Championship title already.

Blackburn have announced that they've given their rivals the lowest possible away allocation for the midweek game - giving them just 2,000 tickets when some other clubs have been allowed up to 7,500 in previous games.

It's proven a controversial call, incensing parts of the Burnley support and even some neutral fans, and now Pace has had his say on the situation via social media.

He said: “We always try to do what is best for fans and be as fair as possible for the entire football family.

“So, despite attempts to allow as many supporters as possible to have the opportunity to be at the match on April 25, we are disappointed that the home side have chosen to leave thousands of seats empty.

“We made the decision to do the right thing and give all available seats to visiting fans at the reverse fixture back in November.

“For us to travel to their stadium and be treated differently to other visiting fans doesn’t sit right with us and shouldn’t sit right with you.

“Football fans should always come first. #FairFootball”

Blackburn have their own end-of-season aspirations to worry about in the meantime. Jon Dahl Tomasson's side are fifth in the Championship table with eight games left to play as they push to secure their return to the Premier League.

The Verdict

You can see where Pace is coming from here.

The Clarets chairman expects the same treatment as they gave Blackburn in the reverse fixture and doesn't feel like they're getting that.

That said, it is a derby and a game that could have an important impact on Rovers' hopes of a top six finish so you can understand why they would want to limit how many fans their rivals can have at Ewood Park.

Ultimately, it is the home team's call and they're within their rights to offer the minimum allocation.

It should only mean a more fiery contest on the day, which is good news for the neutral.