Red-faced City fan Darren Lee had some explaining to do after missing his baby's birth.

He was cheering City on to victory in the pub when his son came into the world.

Darren, 31, from Baildon, left his wife Annabel in the capable hands of midwives at Bradford Royal Infirmary who assured him it would be several hours before 'kick off'.

He nipped off with friends to the Angel pub in Baildon to watch the game, making sure to take his mobile phone.

But when he got back to the maternity unit he found his wife had given birth to their second child - a bouncing baby boy. He is being named Matthew Stuart after the Bantams' inspirational skipper Stuart McCall.

Darren, a sales director, said: "The midwives all said to me nothing would be happening for a few hours, or I wouldn't have gone. I feel really bad about it. I have already taken a bit of stick from the lads. I was up at the Angel in Baildon watching it with the same group of mates I stand on the Kop with. We are going to give Matthew the middle name Stuart, because Stuart McCall is my hero of all time."

Annabel, 29, who works for the Yorkshire Building Society, added: "I hate football, but I'm not angry with him. No-one thought it was going to happen so quickly, or he wouldn't have gone. Luckily my mum was with me."

Little Matthew was one of four babies born during the game at the BRI. Anxious dads were sitting in their cars in the car park outside the maternity unit unable to tear themselves away from radio commentaries. And even in the operating theatre, medics had the radio on in the background.

Baby Olivia Rachel Firth came into the world at 2.46pm after mum Lyndsey James had a caesarian section.

Her father Dameon, from Greengates, said: "They brought Olivia out to me and as I was sat holding her, one of the doctors came running through to say that City had done it. I am actually more of a Bulls fan than a City fan, but they are my home town team and from that point of view it's brilliant for everyone."

News of Olivia's birth was relayed to fans celebrating in the Green Man, Undercliffe, and the Swing Gate, Bolton Junction - the two pubs run by Dameon's parents Kay and Stan Fenton.

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