Hayden Bird has taken a swipe at Carshalton Athletic fans after the Robins decision to rebrand the club next season has sparked a rumpus at Colston Avenue.

Carshalton announced last week that they intend to ditch the club’s maroon colours for the upcoming campaign, instead electing to revert to the side’s original kit of red.

Not only that, but the Athletic logo is also likely to change - decisions that have instigated a storm of protest from Robins followers on their forums.

But Bird has moved to quell the feud by urging Carshalton fans to take a reality check.

He said: “I do not want to disrespect the supporters in any way, but they seem to take everything to the absolute extreme.

“You would think the club is on the brink of collapse the way they are going on on the forums.

“All it is is the simple thing of a colour change - I’m not sure what these fans do for a living but I wish that was the biggest problem in my life.

“I could go on and debate with the supporters on these forums, which I have done in the past, but with this I really cannot be bothered.”

The decision to rebrand has been in the pipeline for some time, and Bird reveals it is not just a decision that has come from above.

He added: “The players really did not like the maroon kit.

“It was certainly not the biggest thing in the dressing room, but it was an issue.

“In fact, the players wanted to wear the away kit for home games, but we were not allowed to do that.

“When you look at the club’s history the original colours were red, so that seems a good idea.

“I’m a Chelsea supporter so if I had my way they would probably play in blue, but as long as the team is winning I really do not care what colour they are wearing.”

The club has revealed they will be mass-producing new scarves and flags which will be issued to supporters as a way of defusing any row.

But Bird insists the most important matters will always be on the pitch.

He added: “This is a side issue to the real task of putting the squad together.

“I have identified the players I want, but a lot of them are much-sought after.

“We are in talks with a number of guys, and I am hoping to have everything tied up within the next two to three weeks.”