THERE'S at least one family in Burnley who couldn't give two hoots about football - and that's the family of owls nesting in the new North Stand at Turf Moor.

The birds of prey have made a new home in the giant structure after their old nest disappeared with the demolition of the Longside terrace.

It's good news for some superstitious fans - they believe the creatures bring good luck to the club, since Burnley's sponsor, Endsleigh, has an owl in its logo.

When demolition work began last year, there were worries that the birds would become homeless. But, after taking advice from the RSPB, the club built two nest boxes to house the pair of owls and their newly hatched young.

Director Clive Holt told the Citizen: "We know there are a pair of tawny owls high up in the superstructure, and there are also some youngsters.

"At first we thought they might be barn owls, which are much rarer, but they turned out to be tawny owls.

"The two plywood boxes have been made to resemble a hole in an old tree. They're on an angle with a nine-inch opening and a big space inside."

Although famous among regulars on the old Longside, the owls have been seen only rarely - and then mostly at night.

"I don't know where they go to during the day," added Mr Holt, managing director of Burnley firm Interfilta, which built the boxes. "But you can see them at dusk sometimes."

It wasn't such a happy story for one of the young owls. Mr Holt explained: "Unfortunately we found one of the youngsters dead, but we're told that's fairly common, because only the strongest ones survive."

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