LONDON (AFP) - A swarm of bees attacked an English pre-season football friendly on Saturday, with beekeepers having to be called to clear the hive.

The incident happened at Oldham Athletic's ground in north-west England where the home side were to face Blackburn Rovers, with photographs showing the bees had built a hive around the goalposts at one end.

Fans were made to wait outside ahead of the game while the pesky insects were removed.

"You cannot BEE serious? Hope everyone is swarming down today..." tweeted Oldham FC.

Supporters were also told over the PA system: "It's been a hive of activity. The bees didn't pay the entrance fee so we had to throw them out."

Beekeeper John Ogden received a call from the club asking him to rush down.

He told Britain's MailOnline: "I have never been phoned saying 'we have got a football match in an hour, can you come and clear some bees'."

Explaining why the bees had gathered on the post, Mr Ogden said: "Somewhere within a few hundred yards a hive had got overcrowded.

"When the hive gets overcrowded, the queen bee decides she is going to take half the bees with her.

"They hang off a tree and send out scout bees to search for a new home. It's usually the branch of a tree, but it can be anywhere."

Mr Ogden and a fellow beekeeper sprayed the insects with sugar syrup before scooping the majority of them into a box.

Once the danger was cleared, the match went ahead with Blackburn winning 2-0.