MIDDLESBROUGH manager Chris Wilder admitted that had their FA Cup quarter final tie against Chelsea gone ahead behind close doors, he wouldn’t have attended to the game as a matter of protest for his own supporters.

In a bizarre set of events yesterday, Chelsea initially asked the FA to host the game with no supporters after their request to have tickets sold for the game were denied by the UK Government following sanctions imposed on Russian owner Roman Abramovich. However, following backlash from the football world, the club retracted their request to the Football Association.

A statement from Boro yesterday read: “All concerned are well aware of the reasons Chelsea have been sanctioned and that this has nothing to do with Middlesbrough Football Club. To suggest as result that MFC and our fans should be penalised is not only grossly unfair but without any foundation.

While all the talk surrounding the build up to their FA Cup tie at the weekend, Boro had matters on the pitch to concentrate on as they cruised their way to a comfortable 2-0 win over Birmingham City.

Reacting to the news following the win at St Andrews, manager Wilder said: “I think like everybody in football made of it. It was just head scratching and I was flabbergasted with everything that’s gone off today.

“I’m delighted that the focus hadn’t gone off because it tested us. You can’t get away from it. The players are eating a four o’clock and it’s on Sky Sports. You know what social media is like now.

“It was really important that the focus was attuned to this game because if it weren’t then it would have hurt us and I was delighted with a couple of bits in the game where it’s gone against us and we got back going.

“I don’t know. When a decision is made and there is a universal ‘what is all that about?’ attitude to it from everybody, including Chelsea whether it’s Thomas (Tuchel), the coaching staff, their players, supporters. Their trust came out and said ‘what is all this about?’

“I thought our response as a club was class and our Chairman said what he felt from the heart. That was backed up universally by everybody knows the game and loves the game. I’ve got to say, I was thinking that I wasn’t going to turn up. If our supporters weren’t going to turn up then I don’t think I’d have turned up. Nobody wants that.”

After the win at St Andrews, the club put Chelsea’s allocation up for sale for home supporters with the number totalling at an extra 3,200 tickets.

While Chelsea claimed the request was made under ‘matters of sporting integrity, Wilder questioned whether that was the case and that these types of games should not be without an empty seat in the ground.

The Boro boss continued: “Nobody wants to see empty seats at the Riverside. It’s the quarter final of the FA Cup. We sell out at Mansfield which was incredibly difficult tie. We go to Manchester United and sell out there and get a result. We sell out at home to Tottenham and we get a result.

“4,000 empty seats. Hopefully that situation will get sorted out because it’s the quarter final of the FA Cup. It’s full house time, it’s got to be. Whether it’s Middlesbrough fans or Chelsea fans. If it’s Chelsea fans then that’s their right. It’s their allocation and they take it up but the tie shouldn’t be tarnished by empty seats and hopefully it won’t.

“I wouldn’t have turned up unless the club said you have got to turn up.

“I don’t think it would have come to that because it was such a ludicrous decision so maybe I’m talking nonsense but I’m thinking what’s the point. The reaction from the football world said it all.”