THEY say Manchester United have the biggest supporters club in the world -- but Bolton FC are not nicknamed the Wanderers for nothing.

Their fans have wandered all over the planet and the distant echo of their cheers will be heard when Big Sam's lads play the Red Devils tonight.

Wanderer Mark Rowland, aged 31, will be following the game in Australia during the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The match will not be on TV "down under", but management consultant Mark, who moved to Oz in 1993, will listen to it live on the Internet.

He said from his home in Sydney: "It's not easy to get to home matches when you live 12,000 miles from the Reebok, but I always follow Bolton's games.

"There are 100,000 United fans in the Australian supporters club, but we have about 40 Bolton fans down here as well.

"We play the United supporters in an FA Cup contest every year and we beat them last time. I just hope the real Wanderers can do the same in their league match tonight."

Other Bolton fans will be on the edge of their seats as big match fever sweeps through supporters clubs in America, Canada, Hong Kong and Norway.

There may be more United fans around the world but, according to one ex-pat Bolton fan, Wanderers fans are far more loyal.

Engineer Trevor Smethurst, aged 35, from Bromley Cross, emigrated to Canada in 1989 but says he never misses a Wanderers match on the TV in his local Canadian pub, the Slye Fox.

He said: "There are many United fans in Canada but, just like their fans in other parts of the world, they have never seen them live.

"I went to my first Bolton match when I was five years old and had a season ticket for a decade. I always try to go home for the big games. We're all big fans here," he added. "Beating United tonight would be better than winning the FA Cup against any other side."