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A Night that lasted forever

From Uefa Cup Final in Amsterdam, Netherlands on May 10 '06

Moody has visited no places in Amsterdam
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Boro Fans Asleep
Boro Fans Asleep
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Leaving the station, it was hard to talk.  We got on one of 6 trains from Eindhoven to Amsterdam, with other boro fans talking about what went wrong and what could of been.

The thing about BORO fans is you know your going to get a laugh, no matter what the occasion.  I couldnt help but smile when one fan said " im going to go to Amsterdam, pay a prostitute to wear a Sevilla shirt, and take my frustration out on her".  As the train was only going to central Amsterdam and not the airport Swainy and myself were either looking at a taxi to the airport, or sleeping at the train station untill the next train to the airport.  This looked good, when we heard that some fans would have to pay 160 euros for a taxi from the station to thier hotel.  They were told it was 5-10km from the city center, 35km was a better estimate.  However fortunately the train decided to go to Schipol after the central station, the only good news we've had all night.

i watched the clock tick from 1.30 till 6.30am
Swainy and others laid down
Swainy and others laid down
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After another painfull 90 minutes we reached the airport.  Unfortuantely to keep the two sets of fans seperate we were directed to a part of the airport at the opposite end that we needed.  We sat down at around 1.30 1.45am and Swainy managed to catch some sleep i literally watched the clock tick from 1.30 till 6.30am.  The odd trip to the toilet being a highlight.  We were woken up at 4am, 5am and 6am by riot police telling us to sit on a single chair as we didnt convey the correct image of the airport.  I saw a number of BORO fans go behind some disused check-in desks to sleep.  At one point one of the fans wearing a retro BORO shirt from 10 years ago sporting the DICKENS sponsor on the front stood up to stretch his legs at around 5.30am.  An old dutch couple then asked him something, obviosuly thinking he worked for the airport and the airport's uniform was bright red and sponsored by DICKENS (a north east version of a small B & Q).  The fan looked up from his phone to the old couple and could do nothing else but laugh hysterically in thier faces.  I soon joined him, we were obviously so tired we were going insane.  The poor couple had no idea what they had done wrong.  The fan continued to cry with laughter for a number of minutes, before relaxing and saying, "Thats made my day that, i havnt laughed like that in years".

Swainy sleeping upright
Swainy sleeping upright
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He went back to lie down, until about 6am, where airport staff realised the fans were sleeping in the disused check-ins.  When asked to move, about 40 fans of all shapes, sizes and ages appeared.  The airport staff could not believe the cheek, but it gave all of us there a good laugh.  Swainy somehow managed to sleep sat upright, but at 6.30 i could take no more and made him go to the gate, where we went through and i got a breakfast.  The both of us were now laughing at everything as we struggled to make conversation, the insanity was well on its way.  I tried to make breakfast last as long as possible, but it was still a good wait before we eventually got on our flight and departed at 9.30am.


 

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