Rob I was there and I didn't believe that was going to be our one and only triumph in Europe. I hope we can make more of those nights in the coming years. It was a wonderful couple of days until Stormin' Norman ruined it all at Wembley on the Saturday. The young ones probably think what are those old sods on about, but I do hope they have a chance to experience it in their lifetime's a very special time to be a blue and I'm pretty sure the weather was better too.

I was fourteen at the time and I remember thinking, " 'Fucking get used to this!".

Isn't life just full of shit?

Love it! I was 7 or 8 at the time and only have dim memories of the game. Lets hope we get back to winning things soon.

COYB FOYR

It was that moment in the square playing footie with the Police that made the ban all the harder to bear. After we had shown the world how fans should behave we got kicked out of Europe. That's why I will never forgive Liverpool or Juventus fans (I remember the 'Liverpool Animals' banner - they wanted trouble too.

Rob Coles, we have never met but we have been in very close proximity.

I too Kipped in one of those pipes.

We had tried to sleep in the station but had been told no.

As we walked away from the station we saw heads and feet sticking out of the pipes so clambered up to find empty 'beds'.

Uncomfortable but the drink helped.

I still think, if someone with a great camera had seen it, it would have made one of the great all time sports photos.

Rotterdam and our developing into a great side, came at the perfect time for me, I was 26, earning decent money so could go home, away, europe - anywhere and (unlike now) I could shift a LOT of bevvy.

Fucking wonderful times following an Everton side that was the best in England and better than just about every other team in Europe.

Twenty eight years- Bloody hell I feel old. I remember sitting outside a bar in the main square in Rotterdam and all you could see and hear were Evertonians everywhere.
Duncan McKenzie being carried shoulder high by a mob of delirious blues is a sight that will never leave me.

Got the coach from outside Goodison, cracked open a few tins and didnt stop drinking until the coach dropped us outside the Rocket 3 days later.

Oh happy days, football was a different game then and I feel so sorry for the younger generation of blues who only have DVD's to watch when we were without doubt, the best team in Europe. Now why didn't we go on on to win the European cup? Oh yes, now I remember.......

I 'm so glad I made the effort ( had to beg my Boss for 2 days off work and even though he was a jealous Chelsea fan he gave in ) and went to that match.

It may never happen again, but you don't realise that when you're 19 do you? My advice to all fans is grab these games when they come along and go because you may have a very long wait for the next opportunity!

- Karl, that's why I'd have been delighted with Europa qualification, you have to grab whatever is going and enjoy it. Even a pre-season at Anderlecht is a very fond memory for me. Nothing more enjoyable imo than an Everton trip to Europe with your (blue) mates. Many seemed chuffed we didn't qualify for Europa, as though not qualifying would guarantee us something next year. Fairly sure football doesn't work that way. As you say, grab these games when they come along (actually, at my age, I grab them with both hands)

28 years ago today, crikey.
Zeebrugge and in Rotterdam 7AM where for the first time in this life I was introduced to Grolsch, 6 crates of Grolsch for the six of us. Met up with mates from Crosby and Seaforth in some square and then it starts to get fuzzy.
I remember words with Duncan McKenzie
Eating some sausage thing
Having a little disagreement with a bunch of Feyenoord boys who showed up to piss on our parade
Treble, Treble, we wanna treble and we want one now
Singing, drinking, laughing, happy
Knowing we supported the best team in England (Europe!)
Playing footie and going for a highly ambitious volley that involved me leaving the deck and missing the ball and kicking a Dutchwoman in the mammary glands – Sorry
Meeting up with Raul from Vienna, a diehard Austria Vienna fan, who travelled to Rotterdam to take out Rapid fans.
Drinking more, drinking more, including whiskey with six or seven Celtic fans, yes there were Celtic fans there, in the corner on the right of the Rapid end as we looked at it. Raul all pumped up.
‘And we love our Neville Southall … ‘
No Nick Entwistle
Seeing Vienna nowhere
Until a fecking huge mob of the bastards led by I swear the spitting image/size of Buster Bloodvessel appeared 100 yards or so in front of us round a corner., Vienna skinheads, ‘orrid guttural shouts, The 7th Crosby Legion thinking fuck it, crates emptied of empties, Bloodvessel hollers something, and next second Poilitie streaming in from all points of the compass.
Heavy escort to ground.
Getting legged by Rapid fans outside ground and running straight into a tree – saved by the hero of the day Raul
Southall, Stevens, Van Den Hauwe, Ratcliffe, Mountfield, Reid, Steven, Sharp, Gray, Bracewell, Sheedy
Gray (58) Steven (72) Sheedy (85)
Being right at the front of the 2nd tier and nearly falling out of it when the 2nd goal went in
http://img.youtube.com/vi/pmfsKDgzdPg/0.jpg
hung around for a day then straight to London for the Cup Final

Aged 16, just too young to go, but was at Wembley on the Saturday. I just wish the young team coming through the terraces could experience anything like 1985, so that years later they have something to crow on about like us right now.

Sorry MK I did format it properly I thought;i'll try again

28 years ago today, crikey.

Zeebrugge and in Rotterdam 7AM where for the first time in this life I was introduced to Grolsch, 6 crates of Grolsch for the six of us.

Met up with mates from Crosby and Seaforth in some square and then it starts to get fuzzy.

I remember words with Duncan McKenzie

Eating some sausage thing

Having a little disagreement with a bunch of Feyenoord boys who showed up to piss on our parade

Treble, Treble, we wanna treble and we want one now

Singing, drinking, laughing, happy

Knowing we supported the best team in England (Europe!)

Playing footie and going for a highly ambitious volley that involved me leaving the deck and missing the ball and kicking a Dutchwoman in the mammary glands – Sorry

Meeting up with Raul from Vienna, a diehard Austria Vienna fan, who travelled to Rotterdam to take out Rapid fans.

Drinking more, drinking more, including whiskey with six or seven Celtic fans, yes there were Celtic fans there, in the corner on the right of the Rapid end as we looked at it.

‘And we love our Neville Southall … ‘

No Nick Entwistle

Seeing Vienna nowhere

Until a fecking huge mob of the bastards led by I swear the spitting image/size of Buster Bloodvessel appeared 100 yards or so in front of us round a corner., Vienna skinheads, ‘orrid guttural shouts, The 7th Crosby Legion thinking fuck it, crates emptied of empties, Bloodvessel hollers something, and next second Poilitie streaming in from all points of the compass.

Heavy escort to ground.

Getting legged by Rapid fans outside ground and running straight into a tree – saved by the hero of the day Raul

Southall, Stevens, Van Den Hauwe, Ratcliffe, Mountfield, Reid, Steven, Sharp, Gray, Bracewell, Sheedy

Gray (58) Steven (72) Sheedy (85)

Being right at the front of the 2nd tier and nearly falling out of it when the 2nd goal went in

http://img.youtube.com/vi/pmfsKDgzdPg/0.jpg

hung around for a day then straight to London for the Cup Final

I remember having to phone in to my Uni lecturer to tell him I was sick and was not going to sit my Organic Chemistry exam. Unfortunately choosing to use a phone in a bar in the city centre proved not to be my wisest move as halfway into the call someone decided to launch into a chorus of Everton which was quickly adopted by about 100 fellow Blues. Fortunately he was an understanding type and played along with my story.

I was 22 at the time and never thought that it would be our only real moment in the European spotlight. 50 this year and was given a signed 1985 squad shirt as a present' which I will cherish. Travelled by coach with Towns Travel Wavertree. Remember playing footy with a load of Celtic fans you had made the trip vs a gang of local youths on a pitch with nets and goals! Remember queuing up to get in and Elton Welsby appearing on the TV balcony under the rear of the stand and getting a loads of abuse from fellow blues, all of which he deserved for being a manc and also wearing a yellow shirt with matching yellow tie. Knob! A truly memorable night from a truly great side who would have won the European cup the year after if it wasn't for are shithouse neighbours.

This is a worthy read over on NSNO http://www.nsno.co.uk/everton-news/2013/05/a-fans-trip-to-rotterdam-28-years-on/

Remember sitting by a canal with a crate of (flip top) Grolcsh each. Never quite believing it was happening. Euphoric and disbelieving when we did it in style. Coach back to Airport thinking we'll be in the Airport bar, but get told we are in a holding hangar until flight called. So we had a whip round and got the coach driver to take us out to a suburban bar. Had a stonking night with the locals who had all watched the game, singing all the songs "and we love our Psycho Pat". I have no recollection of getting back to the airport but do remember utilising the thoughtfully provided paper bag on the plane at one point !

My son needs to have at least one of these experiences and I hope the incoming manager can provide them.

Meant to say though, Bayern semi was still the best atmosphere I have EVER been a part of. Raw emotion doesn't begin to describe it.

So many memories of this trip, but the best has got to be when Hans Krankl pulled it back to 2-1 out of the blue and we thought we were in for a gruelling last 5 minutes, only for Sheeds to score in the attack straight from the kick-off. Probably the most sublime moment in 50 years of watching Everton.

Steve Guy, wise decision to leave that hangar to go to a local bar. It sure beats watching The Blues Brothers on a big screen - in Dutch!

Benefica coaching staff taking me back to the eighties.........lots of hair !

What glorious memories.
Sold a car to be able to afford the trip.
Went down early staying at a mates cousins in Canterbury .
Then over on the ferry to Belgium and train to Rotterdam.

Fantastic day singing and drinking in the square.

Then the game and a brilliant performance from players and fans.

Cup won and back to Rotterdam centre for more beers and nowhere to stay.

4 pissed Evertonians were then treated to the full Durch hospitals by a coupe who had watched the game on tv and kindly Let us crash at their apartment.

Next day back to blights and stayed in Canterbury before going to the cup final on Saturday.

We are very very lucky to have witnessed such great times and no one can take those memories away

Oops hospitality not hospitals

Too young to go to Rotterdam aged 11, but got the original programme signed by the whole team and was at the Munich game at home in the top balc in the semi and thought it was going to collapse with the rocking ! Got two boys of my own now aged 10 and 8 who are avid Evertonians, I'm also hoping for all of us that the new man can give Everton the opportunity to savour such once in a lifetime moments again.

I agree Eugene. For all those naysayers moaning about Thursday nights in Europe, would you fancy a night at the Amsterdam Arena like Chelsea tonight? Or my equal ( with Spurs away in April 1985 ) favourite away match at Nuremberg in 2007?

Europa League may not be perfect, but it's better than nothing.

I was just 15 and travelled with my dad, we went on train from Lime St to Dover and the Everton stewards handed us our match tickets on the train. From Dover, we got an overnight ferry to Ostend and then a train direct to Rotterdam. I remember seeing police with handguns on the train from Belgium to Rotterdam but it never worried us too much as we were too excited with thoughts of the match ahead!

We got off the train opposite the stadium and spent the afternoon walking round with my dad. Then, when the gates opened, we entered the stadium, unfortunately we had terrace tickets behind the goal Sheedy scored in but we had a good view of the game which we dominated. I could not really see Rats get the trophy and then it was straight back on the train after game.

I bumped in to one of my school mates outside the ground with his dad. The journey back to Ostend was like I was dreaming. I could not take in how well we played, how many fans were there, our first European final and winning it and a trip to Wembley to come on the Saturday.

We got back home late on Thursday evening. With huge thanks to my dad (who is sadly not with us anymore, he passed away in 2003) for taking me and to most away games from 1984 to 88.

Great trip, memories and huge well-behaved travelling support... pity our neighbours could not do the same on their trip to Belgium!

Up the Toffees!

Yes I was there...I too sat on the canal bank with crates of 'flip-top' Grolsh all afternoon on in the sunshine with my mates (there was about 10 of us)...quite simply one of the best...if not the best....Everton experience of my life.

I now have two sons of my own one is 22, the other 14....both bleed blue....I desperately hope that someday they will have something like this to look back on in 30yrs time...!!

No I tell a lie the BEST ever Everton experience of life is Man Utd semi 2009...before the game standing on the steps outside Wembley looking down onto a sea of blue & white in full battle cry with my boys either side of me...not ashamed to say it brought a tear to my eye....what a memory....oh shit here comes that tear again !!

Wow!...thank you to all the contributors herein who so evocatively recalled that special night in Everton history. I was working on a Moshav in Israel and watched the game on a shitty old black and white telly. Super memories. Pity about Man Utd on the Saturday but...

Wow reading about all your memories I felt like I could actually visualise being there - wishful thinking. Thanks for sharing them.

I was 14 at the time but was dressed in everything I had blue for the occasion.