What a European away trip to Brussels – I’m getting too old for this | OneFootball

Holy Stella, I am getting too old for these trips.

Thursday on the Eurostar heading back to blighty after our cracking 4-0 victory on Wednesday.

Started off Monday morning with a train down to Kings Cross and then Eurostar to Brussels.

After getting booked into our hotel it was out into the Louise district with eight of wor lot in tow..

A warning was given by the club, not to go out in Brussels alone, stick in groups together and keep an eye and ear out.

Whilst a couple of districts that we passed through didn’t look great, my truthful and overall view was that the people of Brussels were friendly and in all cases (ie the pubs) really made us welcome.

That’s unlike the Brussels old bill who couldn’t have been more unhelpful and intransigent as we left the metro to walk the 15 minutes ( it turned into 30 minutes because of them) onto the match.

I have been really critical of the modern day Champions League format.

Personally, for me the only clubs who should qualify for it are every country’s domestic league winners.

I mean who can forget a minnow like Malmo in the European Cup with a bit of skill and the right draw reaching the final (losing to Nottingham Forest in 1979). The modern day equivalent is probably the mackems making the final of the pizza cup…

Back to our game and some 6,000 Geordies made the trip over despite there only being seemingly 586 tickets of our away allocation going on sale to season ticket holders.

Now I sit in the East Stand for our home games, but if you think that’s antiquated, get yourself along to Anderlecht’s Lotto Park.

Winning at half-time and I wander down to the concourse, only to bump into Newcastle’s number 15 loyalist fan and leading Mag comments section gubbins talker, the Monk.

So 4-0 at full-time and it’s off into the centre of Brussels to indulge in Belgium’s second favourite culinary delight, mayonnaise and chips…Poirot-tastic.