Former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer has slammed Chelsea's "incredible" decision to try and get this Middlesbrough FA quarter-final played behind closed doors for 'sporting integrity' reasons.
The Blues have faced a logistical nightmare ahead of the clash at the Riverside Stadium, with sanctions meaning that no new tickets could be sold. As a result, around 500-600 travelling supporters have made the trek up to Teeside but these are fans that had already purchased their tickets before Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK Government.
With the process of a takeover already in progress, the club initially moved to request the game be played behind closed doors for 'sporting integrity' reasons. Words that received a big backlash from the wider footballing community, as Middlesbrough and their chairman unleashed a tirade on Bruce Buck and the higher ups in west London.
