FORMER Burnley Football Club manager Stan Ternent's first day of his trial for an alleged assault has ended.

Ternent, 61, is accused of head-butting a man in an incident at Burnley Cricket Club, Belvedere Road.

The jury at Lancaster Crown Court heard the prosecution allege it happened during the Worsley Cup Final between Burnley and Nelson on August 6 last year.

Ternent, of Cliviger, pleaded not guilty to assaulting Greg Wilson and causing actual bodily harm.

Paul Jewell, former Wigan Athletic manager and Kevin Blackwell, the current Luton manager, are due to appear as defence witnesses in the trial.

Ternent was said to be an old acquaintance of Greg's father Harry Wilson, who worked under him while at Bury Football Club.

The jury heard how he spoke to Mr Wilson Senior at the Cricket Club.

Robert Elias, prosecuting, said: "The defendant then poked Greg Wilson in the stomach and said 'all right, fatty'.

"He took umbrage and left. Ternent then shouted 'Alex come back'.

Greg Wilson replied: 'My name is not Alex you p****.'"

Mr Elias said the defendant then lunged at Mr Wilson before head-butting him.

He said: "This was no accident, this was an act of violence because of a cheap remark by Greg Wilson."

Mr Wilson was driven to Burnley General Hospital where he received nine stitches to his forehead for a laceration above his left eyebrow.

The jury was shown pictures of his injuries.

When interviewed at Burnley Police Station two days later by PC Rebecca Thompson, Ternent expressed regret and said he knew he shouldn't have done it and said he reacted to what was a torrent of abuse, the court was told.

Mr Elias said Ternent had shown a "propensity for losing his temper and acting in a violent way" in his autobiography Stan The Man: A Hard Life In Football. The jury was sent home for the day at 5pm.

The case continues