Chris Wilder's brilliant response to Chelsea request that left Middlesbrough boss 'flabbergasted'

On Tuesday, Chelsea caused a storm after they declared they wanted Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final at Middlesbrough played behind closed doors after Government officials blocked the Blues from selling tickets for the Riverside Stadium clash.

The Blues have lobbied the Government hard over relaxations to the strict operating licence put in place after Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by Downing Street.

Chelsea eventually agreed to withdraw their request.

An FA spokesperson said: “After constructive talks between the FA and Chelsea, the club has agreed to remove their request for the Emirates FA Cup quarter-final tie against Middlesbrough to be played behind closed doors.

“The FA remains in ongoing discussions with Chelsea, the Premier League and the Government to find a solution that would enable both Chelsea fans to attend games and away fans to attend Stamford Bridge, whilst ensuring sanctions are respected.”

Boro boss Wilder was asked for his reaction about the saga following their win over Birmingham City.

“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,” said Wilder after the win at Birmingham City.

“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 at 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."

Abramovich must not profit in the UK under the Government sanctions, and Chelsea are blocked from selling new tickets in the terms of their new licence.

And after talks with the Government failed to yield a softening of the stance over tickets, the Blues questioned the FA Cup quarter-final’s sporting integrity should Chelsea fans be barred from attending.

The initial Chelsea statement read: “It is important for the competition that the match against Middlesbrough goes ahead, however it is with extreme reluctance that we are asking the FA board to direct that the game be played behind closed doors for matters of sporting integrity.”

However, Boro then hit back strongly.

A Boro statement read: “Given the reasons for these sanctions, for Chelsea to seek to invoke sporting "integrity" as reason for the game being played behind closed doors is ironic in the extreme.”

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