A NOISY crowd of Bolton Wanderers fans gathered at the Reebok Stadium to cheer for their favourite football team.

More than 300 supporters chanted, waved their arms and swayed from side-to-side for around two hours.

And while the sight may not have looked too out of place in the 28,000 seater venue, there was a small twist -- there were no players on the pitch and, consequently, no match to watch.

The fans were helping the BBC create a billboard to advertise Radio Five Live's forthcoming football coverage.

The result will be plastered across Britain making the fans among the most famous in the country.

BBC bosses had hoped for a thousand fans but those who turned up were so vocal and active, the cameramen were more than happy with the result.

The fans were asked to move from one section of the stadium to another and -- once the pictures are pasted together -- the result will give the illusion of a packed ground of 10,000 people.

Each shot was taken by one cameraman who, smiling throughout the shoot, snapped away while the crowd chanted "Wanderers".

After two hours, each fan was handed a complimentary ticket for the Under 17s England verses Brazil match which will be played at the Reebok on Sunday, July 15.

Anton Ezer, who oversaw the photo shoot, said: "We chose the Reebok because it's a magnificent stadium which shows the glamour of the Premiership.

"The head of BBC Five Live, Steve Conway, wanted to create something special and we think we've been able to do that here.

"The fans were fantastic. We couldn't have asked for a better response."

The billboards will be displayed from the start of the season.