Steve Gibson and sanctions leave Chelsea facing tough tie at Riverside

It will be no surprise if Chelsea executives approach the double doors leading into the Riverside Stadium’s boardroom with an element of trepidation on Saturday evening.

Whoever among the Stamford Bridge hierarchy imagined that it might be a good idea to pick a fight with Steve Gibson this week swiftly learned a harsh lesson as, quite justifiably, Middlesbrough’s famously feisty owner raked his metaphorical studs down their shins.

With sanctions imposed on Chelsea’s outgoing owner, Roman Abramovich, by the UK government dictating they can no longer sell match tickets, the London club demanded that Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final on Teesside be played behind closed doors for “reasons of sporting integrity”.

Shortly after Gibson had declared that, among several other things, Bruce Buck, Chelsea’s chairman “lacked intellect” and the London club were “rotten to the core”, the demand was dropped. Accordingly the Riverside will be filled to near-35,000 capacity with about 700 seats occupied by those away fans who bought tickets before the imposition of sanctions on a Russian owner with ties to Vladimir Putin. All ticket receipts will be donated to Ukrainian war victims and related charities.

“I agree with the sanctions and I think our club handled that nonsense magnificently well,” said an approving Chris Wilder on Friday as he prepared to pit his promotion-chasing Championship side against the European champions. “Steve, in his honest, blunt and forthright manner said it how it was.”

By kick-off Gibson’s mood may have mellowed with his thoughts turning to recollections of a watershed Saturday afternoon in late August 1995 when the newly built Riverside staged its first game.

Thanks to goals from Craig Hignett and Jan Åge