Top 3

 

1 Belgrade

2 Lisbon

3 Guimaraes

1) Macedonia

2) Belgrade

3) Lisbon

4) Guimaraes

5) Plovdiv

6) Marseille

7) Munich

1.Marseille

2.Belgrade

3.Skopje

4.Madrid

 

For me the dog shite capital of europe was by far the best. Skopje would have been No2 but being in Belgrade the night before the match just swayed it in it's favour.

 

*Munich had the better 'dancing ladies' out of the lot...

In fairness, if you ask this question next week, you'll get a different set of responses.

 

For example, the night before the game in Sunny beach was superb, but didn't make my top 3 earlier.

Now I'm not sure.

Biggest Regret, going on a Family holiday to Florida, when I could of been in Madrid.

Only having been able to do two, it has to be:-

 

1. Skopje

2. Madrid

Thinking of positives and negatives:

 

Plovidiv

+ Day of the game by the beach watching so many old faces stroll by

- General shitness and the Lauta Fools

 

Besiktas

+ Being there the night before, atmosphere of the city and the stadium

- Spewing in the taxi and missing me flight back

 

Guimaraes

+ Getting kegged up with innumerable Whites in a World Heritage Site

- Having to get a legless H back to the hotel which was miles away

 

Marseille

+ Great atmosphere and a good drink round more obscure parts with Biff, Buckhusrt and H, who again passed out.

- We lost and the place was full of dogshit

 

Skopje

+ Brilliantly obscure place and a cracking atmosphere compared to what might have been expected.

- Child beggars carrying baby beggars.

 

Munich

+ Massive turnout and mass supping with no great grief and great result.

- Realised later that through work I could have done it for nowt

 

Belgrade

+ Great result

- Hotel Nacional and all that malarky

 

Madrid

+ Skin off this board, and London Whites legend, helped us navigate some decent scoff.

- Almost everything, from the bastard coppers through to the taxi driver who didn't undertsand the concept of "airport".

 

Lisbon

+ The place, the people (hustlers excepted), the turnout, the weather and the banter.

- The team, the result, the knowledge that's it the last time I will see us in Europe, and all that will never happen again in my lifetime.

 

If really pressed to say which I'd save if I had to sacrifice 8 then I guess it would have to be Plovdiv simply for the what it meant to the club and the many old faces who made it out. Other than that I'd keep Istanbul.

If I had to drop one it would be Marseille or Madrid; but in the grand scheme of things I'm chuffed to hell I got to them both.

As I've said before, the key thing is to realise how lucky - BLOODY lucky - we were to get such a variety of venues.

Happy days indeed.

Only having been able to do two, it has to be:-

 

1. Skopje

2. Madrid

 

part timer

 

for me

munich-just because who ever thought i the dark days we would end up somewhere like that,and get a result

guimareas- top drinking session

skopje-met a lot of people of here for the 1st time and made a lasting impression

part timer

 

I am ashamed.

Did 5. Enjoyed them all but if pressed I'd go for this -

 

Plovdiv

Guimaraes

Munich

Madrid

Marseille

I am ashamed.

 

we''ll put it down to the funny smells in the bulgarian/macedonian country side.

Top 3

 

1 Belgrade

2 Lisbon

3 Guimaraes

 

 

they are 3 of those i missed...is this coincidence ?

Pretty chuffed that the three i managed, Munich, Guimaraes & Plovdiv are one or two's top three.

 

So I probably didn't miss out on much then?

1 munich

2 skopje

3 besiktas

Plovdiv will go down in the Fenny memoirs as the best time I've ever had on this planet.

 

As Satan said, just sat there in the boozer at the side of the beach, watching all the lads turn up one by one.

 

Then that famous night in the Happy Duck which was literally bouncing, moving onto the corner bar up the street beltin out every Wanderers song, they are good times impossible to beat.

 

That's not even mentioning the fact we won a football game in our first ever European away trip.

1). Guimaraes - Good: The day of the game was simply the best I've ever experienced away at a football game. Bad: N/A

1). Munich - Good: The complete trip was outstanding, Hofbr?uhaus the night before the game was brilliant fun Bad: N/A

3). Marseille - Bad: Shit result, shit place, horrible migrant locals. Good: The day / night in Montpellier on the Wed was truly superb, will definitely go back.

4). Madrid - Bad: Spanish police and general grime. One of the lads getting jumped by 4 locals after coming out of the Irish bar on his own early on the Thursday morning. Good: Result and the booze up on the day before the game.

It was my question and I'm still undecided.

 

PLOVDIV

The first trip. The whole draw and the booking process was so exciting. Swapping texts and emails with many of this site. Trying to work out the best routes, etc. Booking a shite hotel, finding out before we went, cancelling and booking into the one that the club was using for is 5 STAR over-hyped, over-priced EXECUTIVE trip. (well done Bobbers).

The first beers at Manny Airport amongst a great set of lads. Every now and then another face turned up and the entourage grew. Everyone was still a bit star struck and stood in amazement and disbelief about it all.

Then the flight to Gatwick. Arriving there for find even more Wanderers old school and regulars - who'd driven down. Getting leathered in the bar.

The flight wasn't the best, but the ale flowed!

The coach to Sunny Beach (well organised by Traf) - I was very leathered and talking for England! (Calling Pud a freeloader for jumping on our coach... he later checked into our hotel without a reservation for free!!)

Dropping off my bag and heading to the Happy Duck. The atmosphere in the place was bouncing. More familiar faces. Awesome!

Meeting Amir Khan. Falling asleep in the corner bar. Falling down the stairs at Happy Duck and the Corner Bar.

Getting lost. Throwing up. Being taken back to my hotel.

Morning of the game - going down to pool to see Gartside on his phone.

Popping my head into the restaurant to see the "5 STAR MOB" having their "Exclusive" audience with Big Sam. ::::.

Wandered down to the Happy Duck - sat on the "BEACH" - glorious sunshine. Pud bought me a hearty breakfast to shut me up!

Coach to Bourgas was awesome - I think for a couple of quid we got return transport and beers thrown-in.

The site of all the fans in the ground nearly brought grown men to tears.

Seeing all the old school nutters congregate down the front like some kind of mafia!!

The goals. Yes, how good was the celebration to our goals. Probably not be beaten ever!

After the match was a little tame. Went to a restaurant. Was too sick to eat.

More singing in the Happy Duck. Bed.

Breakfast. Seeing a few lads with bandaged heads after an altercation with some doormen the previous night!

Shit myself (in the lift) - back to the room for a shower and dispose of the unwanted garments!

Coach trip back to Varna. Seeing the prostitutes at the side of the road.

Stopping en-route for a coffee/beer and throwing my ring up again!

The worst duty free shop in the world.

Meeting Pat Nevin.

Finding out a Wanderers fan couldn't get on our flight cos he'd booked the wrong year!

Flight to Gatwick. 5 hour wait there - more ale.

Flight to Manchester - BA staff quite tasty! Mini-bus home.

That "hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck" feeling when you drive down St Peters Way and start to see the town all lit up.

Home. Job done. Bolton victors. Progression to group stage.

Many, many new friends made.

 

At this point I had no idea I would go on the next 8 away trips - I honestly had no intention of doing so.

But once that bug gripped me, there was no turning back.

 

QUICK ADDITION...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgom3ZAfdCE

Edited October 9, 200817 yr by Smiley

Thats the one

 

You was with us then...

 

Have you been mithered lately by 2 lads who you went with, for pictures from that trip

Mitherd by one, Im trying to find the negatives to sort em out

Mitherd by one, Im trying to find the negatives to sort em out

 

How is it in 20th Century?

Mitherd by one, Im trying to find the negatives to sort em out

 

 

We was all out on Saturday asking who had them.

 

No wonder you've gone into hiding.

 

Our dart playing friends after kiiling you if you've lost em

Finding out a Wanderers fan couldn't get on our flight cos he'd booked the wrong year!

London White Geoff Jnr

The Bulgarian airlines stall shut up shop after we'd all gone, and so he had to pay ?100 to BA to get a flight back later that day.

I have missed a few trips, done about half.

 

Really enjoyed them all, would have liked to do more but do not regret missing any.

 

 

However there was no way I would have missed Plovdiv.

 

The first time (and at the time thought it was the last time) that Bolton would be playing in a major euro competition.

 

We could easily have gone out on the night and I would never have forgiven myself if I had missed that one chance.

 

All the other games and trips with have their highlights and in 20 years time the number of people who were there will grow.

 

BUT Plovdiv was the first, bit like winning the first ever cup final.

Plovdiv - on the beach having a beer before setting off to the match. Seemed weird.

on the beach having a beer before setting off to the match

Did you never do it at Blackpool?