Could this be the day? We’ve been chipping away for 29 episodes, could the big 3-0 bring our first league title? We’ve certainly got the big lads worried as we enter the run-in, which as usual is just under half of the league season. Can we hold off the megapowers?

Well this is one way to derail us. Feyenoord are in for the Adams re-gen. He’s quite good and was coming on well.

Obviously he doesn’t refuse.

Soon to be 36 year old Fettis fills the squad space.

We welcome Ajax to De Bungalow and we know that if we can just win it puts a considerable chasm between us. Degryse turns up the heat on our title challenge but Frandsen (not Per) equalises from a late corner to deny us.

Typical. We battered them!

The somewhat easier task of dismantling non-league…I’m not typing that. The Vogels are hopeless and we win 4-0.

Urgh, Roda. I hate having to go there.

Feyenoord are next in the Super Cup and we manage to concede twice in a minute as our attempts to overturn a 2-1 deficit are wounded. Rombo briefly restores hope but Reuser seals it. Well, at least that’s out the way.

Ah goodness me it’s a wobble and a half. We’re lucky to escape with just two conceded.

This guy though, what a record. I can’t wait until he’s 35.

Feyenoord are up next in the league and it’s the same brief as the Ajax game. Win and the gap is widened. Rombo scores early and as Feyenoord chase the game we pick them off. Gilles De Bilde makes it 5 we’re on the ball!

Shove it up ya.

A solid win at Fortuna Sittard consolidates top spot. The wobble has been addressed.

Feyenoord however are on the slide again.

10 games to go! 2 points the lead.

Veendam are no match for us. Two for Ruudy junior is a nice bonus as we’re 4-0 up at half time. 9 games to go.

Our charge to the title is on hold as we break for Pints Cup action. Watt gets too many red cards these days and his 13th minute dismissal puts us under pressure. Degryse defies the numbers game to give us the lead but the weight of pressure eventually gets to us and Castillo equalises. Into extra time we go and Rombouts wins and converts a penalty to give us an unlikely lead which lasts precisely 0 minutes. Castillo AGAIN. It goes to penalties and we manage to miss 2 out of 3 to lose in a very efficient manner.

Defeat at Vitesse – and another red card – is not good but Ajax can only draw. The show goes on.

Cup Winners Cup time and Juventus’ conquerors Vojvodina are a stoic bunch and manage to keep us at arms length until Gilles De Bilde breaks the deadlock after he replaced Rombouts, with Ooijer on for Finidi. Micker converts two penalties in Rombo’s absence to put some gloss on the performance.

AZ are brushed aside, Hendriks (Ruud Gullit junior) is quickly becoming a superstar.

Revenge is dished out against Roda. Our title march is gathering momentum.

A professional job is completed in Yugoslavia, though we lose Bento and Degryse to injuries.

Some good sides left in still.

Probably not the easiest but we’ll give it a go.

As the fixture list goes mad we don’t play again until the first leg in France where we come from two goals down to draw 2-2. Good result. The Micker pulls up with 2 minutes to go, his replacement equalises but our stalwart is in pain…

Oh Micker. Has he kicked his last ball?

Win it for the Micker, lads. Rombouts scores a late winner as our oddly good record in Eindhoven continues.

5 games to go, 6 points the lead.

We’re somehow 2-0 down inside 2 mintues against VVV. We scrap our way back to 2-2 but can’t find a winner.

Two days later we have to rouse ourselves to visit Sparta, probably my least favourite away game including Ajax and we fall behind to Draco Malfoy’s opener. However, we’re not going to be denied as Rombo equalises and Uncle Bulgaria wins it. It might still be our year.

We won’t be retaining the Cup Winners Cup. I’ll tell the children.

It’s a harsh result and I think we can blame the Micker’s absence on this defeat.

Nevermind, bigger issues are afoot. Willem II get II men sent off and it’s an easy win.

As they say in American sports, we’re on the hill.

Any point will do – we smash Groningen to give us all three and more importantly…

…WE ARE THE WINNERS. OF TELECOMPETITIE

And it only took 30 episodes. Cowabunga.

The fans show their gratitude by half filling the stadium for the game against Twente. We love you too. Maybe Micker puts 10,000 on the gate?

Belter. Never in doubt really was it? We outscored everybody by a mile. Big credit goes to Nikolai for his various tactics which I have chopped and changed over the years but when I finally had a world class striker leading the line, we got it done.

Rombo’s contract expires in a month. Please don’t go. I mean, he really wants to and the vultures are circling.

Sweet Micker. He broke his own goals record at the age of 45. Here’s to a speedy recovery, you’ve got a Champions League campaign ahead.

His physical stats are in great shape.

Rombo wins the awards.

Deservedly so.

He did score 38 goals. I doubt Todor Branimirov did that.

I’m braced for the retirements. So many old lads, when the Retirement Home finally got promoted about 17 of them retired. This time? Just one. Old Edwin. YES!

So Micker, Uncle Bulgaria and the other 30 will all get the chance to play in the Champions League. It’s the stuff of dreams. Next task? Try and keep Rombo. If he goes, we’ll probably never get anywhere near this again.

See you next week!