ONE of Burnley's main sponsors has apologised to the club and its fans after tweets mocking the club's players were posted following their Carabao Cup defeat to Leeds.

Cricket Field Stand sponsor Ladbrokes, who took over sponsorship from David Fishwick only last month, sent several tweets out during Tuesday's game at third round clash at Turf Moor.

The game finished 2-2 after extra time, but the Clarets lost 5-3 in the resulting penalty shoot-out as Leeds progressed.

The result prompted the offending tweet from the bookmaker, naming two Clarets players who have recently signed from Leeds, saying: "Dear Chris Wood and Charlie Taylor" followed by an emoji showing an obscene gesture and "Yours sincerely, Leeds Fans".

It caused a furious backlash among Clarets fans on social media as Ladbrokes recently signed a three-year sponsorship deal for the Cricket Field Stand and became the club's official UK betting partner.

Some fans called on the club to end their short association with the bookmaker, who is also in the same group as fellow high street bookmaker Coral.

Other fans closed their accounts and posted pictures on the Lancashire Telegraph website of their Ladbrokes membership cards snapped in half.

Twitter user Stephen Hughes said: "Sub-teenage 'humour' from a major company, astonishing. I'm closing my account with @Ladbrokes."

Kami Claret posted: "Dear @Ladbrokes. Account Closed. Yours sincerely, #Burnley Fan."

And another Twitter user Spank The Bookies said: "Ooopppsss, and @Ladbrokes sponsor one of the Burnley stands. Tweet has since been deleted, someone's in trouble!"

A Ladbrokes spokesman said: "These were very poorly conceived tweets which we have since deleted.

"It was intended to be a bit of fun but completely failed in that regard, and we have apologised to Burnley FC and would like to sincerely apologise to any fans of the club that took offence."

Burnley Football Club declined to comment on the matter.

Clarets manager Sean Dyche, in his post-match press conference said he was saddened as Wood and Taylor were on the end of the Leeds boo-boys.

He said: “It’s a strange business, football. Twenty-odd million they’ve made for a club and they get slaughtered.

“I don’t know any more how fans react to players, ex-players, all that stuff, but that’s football now."