BORO supporters from across the world are hoping to be among the 30,000 Middlesbrough fans at the final of the Carling Cup later this month.

Ex-pats in the Far East and Europe are among those hoping to witness their team play Bolton Wanderers at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

The 2-1 win over Arsenal on Tuesday night which saw the Boro book their place in the final was still sinking in yesterday.

"There is an amazing atmosphere in the town at the minute. The place is really buzzing," said Rob Nichols, editor of Boro Fanzine, Fly Me to the Moon.

"A lot of people said they couldn't sleep - I know I couldn't. It's like dreamland at the minute and everyone is really excited."

Fans from Hong Kong and Japan are already preparing to fly thousands of miles to be at the February 29 match, while two fanatical Norwegian brothers have already booked accommodation in anticipation of getting tickets.

Boro fan Bjarte Hartog, of Bergen, and his brother, Kjell, who supports Arsenal, are putting aside their differences to embark on a £2,600 month-long tour of UK football grounds, which they hope will culminate in a Boro victory at Cardiff.

Taxi driver Bjarte, 40, said: "For the first time we hope we can go together and watch a match with a lot of other Boro fans.

"It is not the same when I watch in Norway because I am the only one so there is no one to share the support or give you sympathy."

Meanwhile, fans on Teesside are struggling to book accommodation in Cardiff for the big game.

Mr Nichols said many were looking on the auction website Ebay for rooms being sold off by Arsenals fans, who thought a place in the final was a foregone conclusion.

And Boro fan Adrian Carr, found guilty this week of being drunk at the opening match of the season at the Riverside Stadium, and who had his season ticket confiscated, said: "It was a brilliant night for the lads but I had to watch it at a mate's house as I couldn't get into the ground. I was gutted that I wasn't there."

The engineer, of Caithness Road, Middlesbrough, added: "I am hoping to go to the final. I have seen the stadium and it is far better than Wembley - it is really smart."