Middlesbrough have been left furious after a bizarre chemical mishap at Turf Moor caused their pristine white away kit to turn bright green. The Championship side are now considering an official complaint to the EFL and seeking compensation from Burnley after industrial cleaning products completely failed to remove the persistent pitch dye.
Chemical blunder ruins strip
Middlesbrough travelled to face Burnley in the Championship last Wednesday, wearing their all-white away strip at Turf Moor. However, by the final whistle of the 1-1 draw, the visitors' entire kit had changed colour due to stubborn dark green staining. The bizarre discolouration was down to a specialised chemical applied to the pitch by the hosts to treat a nematode roundworm infestation.
Advertisement
News Images
Turf Moor insider reacts
The persistent chemical residue caused extensive damage across the entire squad's matchday gear. It extended well beyond the shirts and shorts, leaving stubborn stains over the outfielders' boots and the goalkeeper's gloves. Reacting to the extraordinary post-match scene at Turf Moor, an insider told the Daily Mail: "I've never seen anything like it."
Boro weigh formal complaint
Upon returning to the Riverside, the club's kit staff applied industrial-grade stain remover in an urgent bid to clean the strips, but even that failed to restore their original colour. The incident has left Middlesbrough officials furious, with the club now weighing up an official complaint to the EFL. Alongside demanding formal answers, the Teesside outfit are also seeking financial compensation from Burnley for the damage caused to their equipment, as reported by Sky Sports.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Burnley face an immediate headache ahead of their next home fixture when they welcome Derby County to Turf Moor on September 19. The Rams are expected to wear their traditional home colours of white shirts and black shorts. Ground staff are now working against the clock to neutralise the chemical residue on the pitch to prevent a repeat of the embarrassing mix-up.