Why Middlesbrough could demand money from Burnley after bizarre Turf Moor issue | OneFootball

Middlesbrough's white away kit was turned green by the Burnley turf during their clash last week

Middlesbrough are considering requesting compensation after Burnley's pitch made their white away kits turn green during their 1-1 draw last Wednesday.

Kim Hellberg's side returned to winning ways and climbed into the top two in the Championship on Saturday, in turn handing QPR their first defeat of the campaign.

It meant that their run of consecutive away trips ended with four points from two games, but there'll be some frustration that didn't end up being the maximum six, after Burnley came from behind to draw at Turf Moor on Wednesday.

Boro went ahead through Aidan Morris' long-awaited first goal for the club, but new Clarets arrival Ugo Raghouber levelled things just nine minutes after the break with a long-range effort of his own.

How Middlesbrough's away shirt turned green during Burnley clash

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However, the result wasn't the only thing aggravating Middlesbrough come full time. Indeed, their white away kit had dyed a luminous green colour at the end of the game, too, which has provided the Boro kitmen with some frustration.

Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail has revealed that this has been caused by a chemical that has been put down on the Turf Moor surface to treat a nematode, or roundworm, problem. A pigment within it caused the away shirt to change colour.

It's not just the shirts that were affected, either. The report goes on to state that white boots and even goalkeeper gloves were affected by the chemical, too. "I've never seen anything like it," said an insider.

Nothing has been able to wash away the green tinge from the pristine, white shirt, and Boro officials are considering a request for compensation from the East Lancashire side.

How fans have reacted to Middlesbrough's shirt changing colour during Burnley game

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Plenty of rival fans in the EFL have painted Middlesbrough with a similar brush for complaints, following the spygate incident in the play-offs last season against Southampton.

While that was a completely justified reason to inform the EFL, some fans on X don't see this as of similar importance. That being said, most of the negative reaction is from Saints fans.

"Cry baby FC strikes again!" one Southampton fan commented. "They’ve got to be the most embarrassing club in history," another added.

"The Steve Gibson effect. They’ll moan about anything this lot," one Birmingham City fan chipped in. "These lot fancy crying about anything else?" a Norwich City fan asked.

Some Middlesbrough fans are seeing the rather ridiculous side of it all, though. "We’re the most unserious football club ever," one fan commented.

"This is the biggest news in weeks!! Nothing less than a points deduction for Burnley and an awarding of 3 points to Boro will do. UTB," a second said, referencing the points deduction Southampton received to begin this season due to being found guilty of spying.

Middlesbrough revelation comes at a key time, given Burnley's next visitors

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Ultimately, football clubs don't have an unlimited number of kits, and having a batch of them ruined at such an early stage would be rather frustrating. Whether that justifies compensation is a different argument.

The realisation that the Clarets have pigment in their turf that turns white kits into a shade of green has come at a helpful time, though, with the next visitors to Turf Moor being Derby County — famously donned in white.