THE historic victory for the Clarets over Blackburn Rovers was celebrated around the world – after six supporters toasted the 2-1 win in Melbourne.

Half a dozen fans met up for the first time in the city’s Charles Dickens bar to follow the action at Ewood Park despite the 11-hour time difference.

And the new-found friends even had the satisfaction of seeing one Rovers fan, from Perth, slink away at the final whistle.

Steve Barnes, a Turf Moor season ticket holder for 44 years, originally from Ramsbottom, said that the six met up after swapping messageboard banter.

He said: “We had a great night in the Charles Dickens on Sunday night, not getting home until approximately 4.30am. Some of us were quite weary by then!

“There was one Rovers fan in the bar, an Aussie from Western Australia, who disappeared within seconds of the final whistle.”

Another supporter, Wes Keenan, originally from Harle Syke, Burnley, was there with his Melbourne-born girlfriend Laura Einsiedel, a converted Claret, and an Aussie workmate, Rhys Belling, who has adopted the club as his British team.

Sisters Beci and Jenna Higham, both from Great Harwood, rounded off the gathering.

Beci had only arrived in Australia a couple of hours before kick-off and is on a week-long trip to see her sister, who lives at Gippsland, south-east of Melbourne.

The six are now planning to meet up again when the Clarets take on Leicester City at the end of this month, according to Steve, a truck driver who has lived out there for four years.

Club bosses have also reported that ticket sales are ‘going well’ for the next home games against Leeds on Saturday.