A BUS passenger was attacked by two Burnley soccer fans because he was a Blackburn Rovers supporter, a court heard.

Blackburn magistrates were shown a video of the violent attack during which Carl Elwell was headbutted and then repeatedly punched and kicked.

And his assailants were told they had come very close to going to prison as a result of the totally unprovoked attack.

Allan Nicholas Perry, 22, of Cardigan Avenue, Oswaldtwistle, and Liam Howe, 22, of Oswald Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Elwell.

They were both made subject to a community rehabilitation programme for 12 months and ordered to complete 200 hours community punishment.

Perry was ordered to pay £350 compensation with £65 costs and Howe was ordered to pay £250 compensation and £65 costs.

Phillipa White, prosecuting, said Mr Elwell had got on a bus in Church heading into Blackburn where he was going to a public house to watch Blackburn Rovers playing Fulham.

Perry and Howe were already on the bus and both were wearing Burnley shirts.

Mrs White said they immediately began shouting football-related songs at Mr Elwell and became aggressive towards him. He said he was going for a quiet drink and told them to get out of his face and grow up."

Mr Elwell recognised that he was going to be attacked," said Mrs White.

"He was headbutted on the side of the face and went down, pulling one of them down with him. He then suffered more than a dozen punches, headbutts and kicks."

Jonathan Taylor, defending Howe, said his client was ashamed. "He has become involved in this incident because of misguided loyalty to his friend."

Michael Blacklidge, for Perry, said: "My client does not accept that he headbutted Mr Elwell but he does accept that he threw the first punch.