CHARLTON are set to invade Middlesbrough with nearly 5,000 fans for their FA Cup quarter-final replay at the Riverside on April 12.

The club's "Operation Riverside" has fired the imagination of fans who have already filled two subsidised chartered planes and two chartered trains within hours of tickets going on sale.

To cope with demand, the club are now considering hiring a third plane.

Charlton's ticket allocation for the tie is 4,800 but after selling 3,755 within hours of the the box office opening on Monday, the club were considering making a request for more. At stake on the night is a mouth-watering semi-final against London rivals West Ham at Villa Park on April 23.

Staff arrived at The Valley on Monday morning to find that queues had formed since the early hours.

Charlton chief executive Peter Varney said: "The club have offered cut-price travel to the match and the fans have been brilliant in their response..

"We are investigating the possibility of hiring a third plane and we will be talking to Middlesbrough about increasing our ticket allocation."

Tickets and travel information are available by ringing the Charlton hotline on 0871 226 1905.

Charlton are running free coach travel throughout Kent to ferry fans to the replay. Coaches leave Ashford (Warren Retail Park) at 11am; Bessells Green (King's Head) 11.30am; Bichington (Birchington Square bus stop) 10.35am: Canterbury (Victoria Hotel, London Road) 11am; Chatham (Railway Station) 11.15am; Dartford (Heath Lane, near Focus Do It All) noon; Deal (Railway Station) 10.05am; Ditton (Teapot Lane, junction with A20) 11.30am; Dover (National Express stop, Pencester Road) 10.20am; Faversham (Faversham Town FC on the A2 )11.10am; Folkestone (Bus Station, opposite Saga building) 10.30am; Gillingham (Bus Station, Nelson Road) 11am; Gravesend (6-9 Overcliffe, opposite St James Street) 11.30am; Greenhithe (railway station bus stop) 11.50am; Herne Bay (East Kent Garage, High Street) 10.50am; Hythe (Red Lion Square bus stop, Military Road) 10.15am; Larkfield (Spotted Cow pub) 11.40am; Leybourne (Leybourne Church) 11.45am; Maidstone 1 (Armstrong Road) 11am; Maidstone 2 (Somerfield Hospital, London Road) 11.25 am; Margate (Railway Station) 10.25am; Pembury (Camden Arms) 11am; Rainham (High Street lay-by outside Lukehurst's Store) 10.45am; Ramsgate (Railway station) 10.10am; Sevenoaks (Bus Terminus, Buckhurst Lane) 11.30am; Sittingbourne (Railway Station) 10.25am; Strood (B&Q Matalan bus stop lay-by, Commercial Road (11.30am); Swanley (bus stop at rear of Asda, Bartholomew Way) 11.45am; Swanscombe (George and Dragon pub, London Road ) 11.40am; Tonbridge (bus lay-by, Priory Road next to public toilets) 11.15am; Tunbridge Wells (Assembly Hall, Crescent Road) 11am; Whitstable (Tesco Extra, Thanet Way) 11am.