A YEAR AGO today we were all in Eindhoven, excited about our Small Club In Europe's biggest day. It was scripted that we would win of course. The steely defiance in the face of provocation in Rome, the two Massimo powered crazy comebacks at the Riverside against Basel and Steaua, the uncanny ability of spawny Steve McClaren to pull something out of the bag in Europe while his domestic regime continued to splinter. It was fated.
Of course it all went horribly wrong. Boro had shot their bolt against Steaua and arrived with confidence wavering after failing to turn up at Villa Park. Boro were battered by a polished Sevilla side that were ready for the late cavalier four up front and clinically picked the team apart. Within days of what should have been Boro's affirmation as a big club, we were picking through the post-Mac debris, emotionally spent, managerless and in need of a major overhaul.
After the game Boro fans in Eindhoven were like a retreating, defeat army making their way in straggling subdued groups through streets awash in cans, bottles and discarded red scarves. I spent the night on the grass outside Eindhoven station waiting for the 5am train to Amsterdam listening to Spanish voices singing victory hymns. The dream was over.
Still, we had a great time. It was a brilliant acheivement for the club and fantastic adventure for the supporters. We clocked up a lot of miles, collected a lot scarves and stored up a lot of incredible memories of trips to games that were inconceivable on the Holgate. Eindhoven was the climax of that. Have a look at the photo gallery on this piece. It could be a long time until we are involved in as big a party as that again.
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