Valencia – Was it Really A Year Ago?

It was almost the moment that the draw was made that computers turned quickly to flight and hotel deals as the Jack Army said ‘this is our European Tour’ and what a European tour it turned out to be. It is certainly a tour that will stick long in my mind from the moment we arrived in the city to the moment they let us out of the ground to continue the celebration after our team destroyed theirs on a magnificent night in the Mestalla.

We were later than many getting to Valencia the night before the game but having been told to head in the general direction of the square it did not take us long to find the Swans fans – as we were told “just follow the noise” and that is exactly what we did and the beer flowed and the fun started. The Jacks were in brilliant spirit at that point in time and it never was going to change for the two days that we were there – or if you were lucky even longer.

By the end of the first night members of the Swans board and even Lee Trundle had joined us in our celebrations of the game to come and the atmosphere was an amazing experience and certainly contributed to one of the best trips I have ever been on.

Strangely enough it was a little quiet the following morning as the sore heads were in place but that didn’t last long as the temperature got warmer and the atmosphere increased as we descended on the bars again and the square was not just a gathering of Swans fans but a mini North Bank recreated in Spain. It was simply bouncing as the afternoon wore on and it continued as we made our short walk to the stadium.

As we climbed the seemingly endless steps to our seats the singing from the square moved to the stadium and we were ready for the game. Valencia were a team out of form but they were still a good team and our lives became easier when we went down to ten men. Then Bony scored and the dream started to become a reality.

The second half and the Valencia fans protest as they all abandoned one end of the ground leaving it completely empty but they came back just in time to see Michu score the second and by the time De Guzman scored the third they could only watch our brilliance on the day.

By the time the home fans had long gone we had celebrated with the directors still in their seats too and the trip was coming to and end but with memories that would last a lifetime for anybody that was there.

So much has happened in the twelve months since that trip with the change in management and also personnel. The Europa League campaign had its critics but I would never change the memories Valencia created for anything. One day we will be back and have the chance of a similar trip – who is to say that we won’t be back next season? We can hope!

The best trip, I’ve ever been on…