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Best and worst European Away?

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It's quiet for us this week so I thought I would start a thread for a bit of fun. What's your best and your worst European away?

Mine would have to be Nuremberg for the best, an amazing 5 days, being the Irish bar on the Wednesday and they ran out of beer Everton fans everywhere singing night all round town.

Worst Fiorentina terrible day all round. Stood drinking outside a cafe all day, police were a joke, no roof in the ground and it was raining... oh and we lost.

Mike Atherton, Liverpool     Posted 06/04/2011 at

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Gavin Ramejkis
1   Posted 06/04/2011 at 13:36:49

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Best has to be against Rapid Vienna in Rotterdam hands down; worst hard to say as Blues always make a party of it, even if we were shite.
David S Shaw
2   Posted 06/04/2011 at 14:37:56

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Holland 15 May 1985. Getting the ferry there. Loads of great songs.

What was the one 'The Everton Boys will be drinking, The Everton Boys will be singing, when we win the Cup?' Or something like that anyway...
Shaun Brennan
3   Posted 06/04/2011 at 14:54:05

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Best: Kharkiv.

Worst: take your pick... Leige, Fiorentina, both games in Lisbon!! But these only rank poorly for the football; the ale and the nights out were great.
Charlie Dixon
4   Posted 06/04/2011 at 15:27:14

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Kharkiv away was some experience.

Never have I seen so many stunning looking women and so many bemused Eastern European men. The tents in the square were also drunk dry. Victor's third is a blur as I fell about 8 rows forward in what was a very steep stadium.

Worst has to be Villarreal. Slaphead robbed us good and proper.
Martin Handley
5   Posted 06/04/2011 at 15:44:24

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Best:? 15 May 1985: Rotterdam by a mile.

Worst:? Inter Bratislava around the same time, pre-glasnost; fucking horrible place especially for a young squadie and his mates... 'nuff said.

Dave Southon
6   Posted 06/04/2011 at 16:13:19

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Best: Home vs AEK Athens. A great 4-0 win and even Jô scored!

Worst: The away leg in Lisbon, we simply didn't turn up and were played off the park, a gutting night!
John Roberts
7   Posted 06/04/2011 at 16:35:01

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Despite following Everton since 1968, I have only seen them play about four times

So, given this, my best home game was a 3-2 win against Crystal Palace in a January 1972 FA Cup replay.

Best away was in Melbourne July 2010 where we beat Melbourne Heart 2-0 in Melbourne.
John Roberts
8   Posted 06/04/2011 at 16:42:34

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Of course these aren't European games but, hey, I only have four to choose from!!!
Eugene Ruane
9   Posted 06/04/2011 at 16:28:13

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Best:- ECWC final.

Oooooh to be that age again (26), felt indestructible, had enough money for bevvy, the match etc and Everton were possibly the best team in Europe.

(Almost odd now to think I followed an ultra-confident Everton side that played just about everyone off the park and expected to win every game.)

Also, what I drank in that couple of days would now (seriously) put me in hospital. I could no more drink that much ale now than fly to Venus.

Worst?

For the game and policing, Fiorentina (but even then, I stayed for three days after the game with a Polish girl who lives there and really enjoyed myself...)

Truth is I love the European trips, even had a ball in Lisbon.
Tony J Williams
10   Posted 06/04/2011 at 17:11:14

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Benidorm, 1988.. the ale was shit and the women were rank. Hang on...mistook the title for another meaning.
Stephen Leary
11   Posted 06/04/2011 at 17:30:31

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Best away for me being only 23 and not seeing any sucess has to be Metalist away, the sheer thrill of getting through when Vic rounded it off going round the keeper.

Worst has to be Villarreal being robbed and seeing it afterwards in the pub ? total cheating cunt Collina. COYB

Danny Broderick
12   Posted 06/04/2011 at 17:51:15

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Same for me. Nuremberg the best; Fiorentina the worst. Watching the game in the rain on a terrace with no roof, through a glass wall which was about a foot thick and blurry because of the rain. It made the lower Bullens look like an executive box. Thousands of Evertonians with no ticket and yet they left thousands of seats empty. Alcohol ban on the day of the match. I will never go back to Italy on an away trip. I'll go back to Germany in a shot...
Chris Butler
13   Posted 06/04/2011 at 18:19:37

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Well I think most people will tell you a trip to Holland is never dull or expensive. Germany is probably the best place to watch your team abroad. Great grounds, Great fans and Great beer.

With the exception of Milan and Inter, a trip to Italy is usually not very pleasant. The grounds are either shitholes like Napoli and Fiorentina or you risk being stabbed or killed for wearing your team's kit.

Unfortunately, we don't get to visit Europe often... hopefully Everton will organise and good pre-season trip for fans to go on.

Paul Gladwell
14   Posted 06/04/2011 at 18:26:01

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Kharkiv, a total different experience; one night in Kiev then a bizzare 8 hour bus trip to Kharkiv, stopping at strange villages for food and vodka, ending with the most bizzare away fans greeting us in the most friendliest volatile way possible, a truly great experience.
Brian Denton
15   Posted 06/04/2011 at 23:11:22

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Eugene, I didn't realise that we were such contemporaries! I was 26 at Rotterdam, and it does seem like a million years ago. Don't like your 'possibly' the best team in Europe ? no 'possibly' about it....

I went to Panathinaikos in 1971. Shit-scared of mad Greeks, ref was useless if not corrupt, glad to get on the coach back to the airport.
Dermot Ryan
16   Posted 07/04/2011 at 05:58:24

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Absolutely hilarious and inspirational to read these posts. WE absolutely must get back into Europe. It's where this great club belongs. COYB.
Dermot Ryan
17   Posted 07/04/2011 at 06:07:26

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And its amazing supporters.
Robbie Shields
18   Posted 07/04/2011 at 07:23:12

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Nurnburg best; Fiorentina the worst, although I did have a great time in Florence the previous night singing the Pienaar song until the wee hours of the morning. Nurnberg all up was just amazing, 10,000 Evertonians in the city, the Germans were great and couldn't believe how many went down. The night in the Irish bar was something else and the Nurnberg rally sites amazing.

Finally the match itself, in the home end with about 4,000 other blues and 3,500 in the official away end. When Arteta scored there were Evertonians all over the place going mad, got better when Victor got the second.

Finally, the announcer introducing the Nurnberg players by saying their first name and then 35,000 Germans shouting their surname out like at the Nurnberg rallies. Made my hairs stand on end thinking what it must have been like with 200,000 at the Zepplin field shouting Zeig Hiel!
Robbie Shields
19   Posted 07/04/2011 at 07:47:23

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Wow, 3 different ways of spelling Nuremberg in the one post, sorry, that's 4 now...... I blame my iPad keyboard!!!!!!!!!!
Paul Withe
20   Posted 07/04/2011 at 12:22:34

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For me Nuremberg was the best ? as has been said above, the day of the game where there were about 10,000 Blues all singing in the city centre, singing on the tram all the way to the ground, the police escort, the awesome beer, the singing in the bars (including the night before) ? all memories that will live with me forever! Also, the moment when big Vic scored the second and the main stand just erupted!! Not just the away end, but the home stands!

Bergen was also a superb trip ? anyone else at the front when the barrier fell over and we nearly ended up on the pitch when Osman scored?! Brilliant!

I only did Liege apart from those two and that was instantly forgettable. Again overzealous police, crappy town and a dreadful performance.

If we get back into Europe again, let's hope we get a German away day. :)

Davin Janicki
21   Posted 07/04/2011 at 13:08:54

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Despite the loss, best for me has to have been the only Europe match I have been able to get to (being from the states), which was the Benfica Lisbon match. HUGE Everton contingent and great times.

Sincerely hoping that blues can make it over en masse this summer for the DC United match in July. Boston Evertonians as well as the NYC supporters clubs are sending a combined 40 people. Good news is that DC United management are doing it right, they encourage tailgateing and for groups in excess of, I believe 12 people, United provides a free "Party Tent" for before the match. Since the match doesn?t start until 7pm, they'll be plenty of time for warm weather hanging beforehand. (Washington in the summertime can be tropical)

DC is actually a pretty fun town. Of course there?s all of the grandeur and culture, but there?s also plenty of good pubs, restaurants and shopping, a convenient and efficient subway system, a lively downtown area and great nightlife in Adams Morgan, Georgetown and Foggy Bottom, which are all stops on the Metro. Even the stadium has a stop on the Metro (Stadium/Armory). Hope you all can make it over and represent! Never know when we're going to get another chance. COYB!

Erik Dols
22   Posted 07/04/2011 at 15:38:15

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@Paul Withe (and others): If Everton ever play Liège again, just go to Maastricht. It's only 15 miles to the north but it feels like a totally different country. Oh wait, it IS a different country ;-)

Maastricht is a Dutch city famous for its pubs and good atmosphere.

I go to Standard de Liège from time to time and the atmosphere around the ground is always hostile, the home fans are always looking for trouble with the police and visiting supporters.

As I'm from the continent I seem to enjoy my trips to the Merseyside more than the Euro-trips, so no on-topic answer here!
Karl Masters
23   Posted 07/04/2011 at 17:23:48

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Rotterdam was the best in many ways, even though it was 26 years ago, but Nuremberg was also fantastic and runs it very close.

I haven't been to one we lost, but I would not have wanted to be at Villarreal or Bucharest in 2005 ? both awful results for different reasons.
Ian Campbell
24   Posted 07/04/2011 at 19:26:45

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Haven't been to too many.

Really enjoyed SK Brann in Bergen.

Didn't particularly enjoy the football side of Fiorentina but nice trip apart from that!
Stephen Kenny
25   Posted 07/04/2011 at 20:15:46

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AZ Alkmaar was a brilliant trip for the sheer amount of Evertonians that were in Amsterdam and because it was Amsterdam. We were on bridges, in bars, up tree's and everywhere else you can imagine singin our heads off.

Sigma was also a brilliant trip because it was roastin' hot and everyone was buzzin.

As many have said Fiorentina was the worst by far for a hundred reasons.
Chris Butler
26   Posted 07/04/2011 at 22:37:18

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Benfica 2009 was a great away trip.
Eugene Ruane
27   Posted 07/04/2011 at 22:42:38

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Alkmaar was certainly the coldest, I have never been so cold at a match ANYWHERE.
David Clark
28   Posted 07/04/2011 at 23:54:08

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Rotterdam '85 - I was 20 and spent all my uni grant money following Everton (thanks Derek Hatton!!). Fantastic couple of days. I remember arriving in Rotterdam around 08:00 in the morning after a long, long coach ride and starting on the beer by 09:00. Stood right behind the goal with my dad and I've seen my flag in a couple of pictures of the crowd.

Took same flag with son to Fiorentina & AEK Athens a few seasons back (both home as he had school the next day).

Took flag again to Lisbon for the Benfica match ? painfull. But we all agreed on the way back to the airport that it was still a great day ? apart from the football.

Flag now passed on to son as family heirloom...
Gary Hughes
29   Posted 08/04/2011 at 01:17:00

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Nuremburg. Not only did we win but we got to stand where the Fuhrer stood. Did I say Fuhrer... sorry I meant Hitler.

Before I get a pc slaughtering, that was a subtle reference to Dr Strangelove.

Gentlemen, please you can't fight in here, this is the War Room.

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