CRICKET fans staged a Viking invasion of their local rivals’ ground yesterday after hiring a boat to travel to a big derby match.

Forty-eight supporters of Lowerhouse donned Viking helmets and boarded a barge for the trip across town from their ground to the game with Burnley, at Turf Moor.

As well as the Norse force, other fans dressed as pirates as they added colour to the 283rd derby between the Foster’s Lancashire League rivals.

“We wanted to do something different and make derby day a little bit special,” said one of the organisers Frank Entwistle.

“We tried to hire a Viking Longboat, but apparently they can’t get down the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, so we settled on a barge.”