NORWICH City fans found sitting among Colchester United supporters at Saturday’s match will be thrown out, U’s bosses have warned.

Tense relations between the two clubs since the Canaries lured away former U’s manager Paul Lambert have deepened after a row over ticketing.

U’s chairman Robbie Cowling refused a request from Norwich for more tickets than the 1,900 allocated for the club in the north stand at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

He told the rival East Anglian club he would rather see empty seats than accommodate Norwich fans elsewhere in the ground.

The club have cancelled the tickets of about 300 Canaries fans who bought seats in the U’s end, but fear dozens more could still have tickets.

U’s spokesman Matt Hudson said: “Normally, we would move these fans into the away end, but at a sellout game, we do not have that opportunity.

“Any Norwich fan found in the wrong end of the ground will be escorted out.”

Norwich fans have claimed the actions are punishing ordinary fans for a dispute between the clubs at boardroom level. Terry Pyle, chairman of Norwich City Shareholders’ Association, described the decision as “petty”.

He said: “The fans had nothing to do with Lambert changing teams, but we’re being punished for it. We just want to watch the game and our fans were always going to try to get tickets in the home end once the away allocation was sold. It is Colchester who have created the problem.”

Kathy Blake, secretary of the Norwich City Independent Supporters Association, said supporters of the two clubs had enjoyed very cordial relations until this season, based on the common rivalry with Ipswich.

She said: “I’m quite surprised how Saturday’s game has been built up into something it isn’t. It would be a shame if it soured relations, long-term.

“Colchester has created the issue around away fans in the home end and if there is any trouble I think the club has to look at itself for responsibility.”

Jon Burns, chairman of Colchester United Supporter’s Association, defended the club, pointing out it had already given Norwich more tickets than league rules said it had to.

He said: “I think it’s great to see Robbie Cowling resisting the call from them for more tickets.

“The board feels Colchester has been wronged by Norwich over Paul Lambert and I support the fact it hasn’t bent over backwards to accommodate Norwich. Norwich fans should stop complaining because I’m sure there are Colchester fans who have missed out on going to the game, too.”

Police are not expecting trouble at the match.

Supt Iain Logan, of Colchester police, said his officers had received no intelligence of violence by rival fans.

Saturday’s match will be the first time the ground has been full up since U’s moved there in 2008, a significant milestone for the Gazette-backed Target 10,000 campaign to boost the club’s gates.

* The Band of the Parachute Regiment will be performing before the game and at half-time.