The European heroes of North-East football were waved off by appreciative fans as they prepared for the biggest night in the club's history. Paul Cook was at Durham Tees Valley Airport to watch Middlesbrough's players board their plane.

IT barely seems credible, like something out of the pages of a Roy of the Rovers comic. But it is true.

Middlesbrough, which 20 years ago had looked set for oblivion, have qualified for a major European final.

And fans who must have been pinching themselves at the incredible events of the last few weeks yesterday watched the players who got them there fly out of Durham Tees Valley Airport.

The 10.15am flight was taking the club to the Uefa Cup Final, being held in Eindhoven, Holland, tonight.

Victory for the Teessiders against Spanish-side Sevilla would complete a remarkable 20 years in the club's history.

Two decades ago, Boro fans could barely have dreamed of a European club final. The club, locked out of its Ayresome Park home, was facing a financial disaster which would eventually lead to liquidation.

Even lifelong fan Steve Gibson, who was part of a consortium which launched a rescue package to save the club, could not have forseen the success to come.

Standing among the players in the departure lounge yesterday, the man who is now the club's chairman said: "You don't imagine a day like this. But you aspire for one."

Although he was just 26 at the time, he was still older than most of the players at the newly-formed club.

Two decades on and a new set of youngsters are at the core of a team standing on the brink of greatness. Those youngsters were among the players who started to arrive at the airport from 8.30am.

Airport staff had decked out the entrance in red and white. Flags were hung from the roof and terminals also displayed the club banner.

Manager Steve McClaren, leading the team for the last time before he becomes England manager after the World Cup, was one of the first to arrive. Dressed in the red and white-striped tie that he has worn throughout the European campaign, he said it was the "proudest moment" in his club managerial career.

Two years ago, he oversaw the club win its first piece of silverware when they defeated Bolton Wanderers in the Carling Cup Final.

Players, who were wearing Uefa Cup Final tracksuits, continued to arrive until 9am. Among them was Lee Cattermole, who became the club's youngest-ever captain when he skippered the team, aged 18, on Sunday.

The Stockton-born midfielder, from a Middlesbrough-supporting family, said: "Sunday was the proudest moment of my career. Now we are playing in a European final. It is massive for the club."

At 9.30am, they began to make their way for the bmi flight BD7953, which eventually left British soil shortly after schedule at 10.15am.

A handful of lucky fans were also on the plane for Eindhoven. They included 14-year-old Christian Stalker, from Lowestoft, who - because of exams - missed the sensational semi-final second leg, when Boro came from three-down to defeat Steaua Bucharest 4-3.

He said: "I went to Romania (to the semi-final first leg) but this is the proudest moment in supporting Boro."

Jim Pierre, 72, who has supported his hometown club for nearly 60 years, said: "I never imagined a day like this but I think we will have many more."

Fans such as 16-year-old Hannah Wayman, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, were grabbing the chance to collect player autographs and have pictures taken with their heroes.

Jonathan Firby, 26, also from Northallerton, said: "This is the biggest day in the club's history."

They will join thousands of fans from the region, who will descend on Holland, to turn the streets into a sea of red and white. They will all be hoping the Boro fairytale has a happy ending