STAN Ternent's family attended at court to defend him, with his eldest son telling the jury Harry Wilson was a "bitter" man.

Mr Ternent's wife of 39 years, Kath, and his son, Chris, were both called to the witness stand yesterday to give evidence.

Chris Ternent told the jury that Greg's father, Harry Wilson, was a "hanger on."

The court also heard claims that Mr Wilson senior launched a "vendetta" against Mr Ternent when he took on the job as manager at Burnley.

The then Burnley boss was told by the chairman and board of directors that he could not employ Mr Wilson, who had worked under him at Bury FC, as he had earlier won an industrial tribunal against the Turf Moor club following his sacking, the court heard.

Jurors were told that Harry Wilson had been sacked from Turf Moor under the reign of Chris Waddle, where he had worked as assistant youth team coach.

Mrs Ternent, whose other son, Dan, was also at court to support his father, described receiving a phone call from Harry Wilson on the day of the incident.

She said he was drunk and slurred down the phone "where is he?"

He asked where Stan was, she told the court, and said she could tell he was drunk as he "wouldn't normally speak in that tone."

Mrs Ternent then handed the phone to her son as she was ironing, the court heard.

Chris Ternent, a property developer who lives close to his parents in Cliviger, told jurors: "My mum said it's Harry for you'. We do know what Harry gets like, he's that way out.

"He said are you going to the cricket club?' I said I'm going later' but cricket wasn't really my game.

"He said get down here, your dad isn't buying a drink so you have to'. He was slurring his words but it was just general banter.

"When I got there you could tell he was drunk. He had a red face. He was cantankerous and always upsetting people."

Chris Ternent said he bought him two large glasses of red wine at the club, one of which was later thrown over his father.

He described him as a "hanger on, a bitter man, who was a networker."

He told the jury how he saw Greg Wilson "explode" like a "bolt out of the blue" after his father made a remark about his weight.

"We were shocked," he added.

Prosecuting, Robert Elias said: "You are looking at this with hindsight, it's colouring your memory."

But Chris responded: "No I'm not. I am very upset to be here for my father who has been put through the mill here. It was a savage attack on him. He did not deserve to be spoken to like that."