FAN THE FLAMES Chelsea face Middlesbrough in FA Cup

WHEN it comes to football, rival fans never really need an excuse to root for an underdog against one of the big boys.

But Chelsea will travel to Teesside today with just about everyone outside SW6 wanting to see them become the latest Goliath to be felled by Middlesbrough’s David.

The ostracising of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, banned from being a director because of his links with Vladimir Putin’s war machine, would have been enough in itself to make Boro the nation’s preferred choice.

Yet the events of the past few days, with Chelsea asking the FA to prevent home fans from coming to the game, has accentuated that attitude - making it even more likely that the Stamford Bridge outfit will encounter genuine hostility.

Not that Boro need any more of a carrot than a possible FA Cup semi-final place.