Europa Conference League

THOUSANDS of West Ham fans are heading to Prague in the misguided belief that tomorrow’s Europa Conference League final is the club’s first of its kind for 47 years.Yet former Hammers skipper Steve Lomas hoisted aloft the ‘coveted’ Intertoto Cup in 1999 on a journey that proved memorable for the players involved.
Steve Lomas captained West Ham to the Intertoto Cup in 1999Credit: Alamy
This was the trophy for winning the competitionCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
West Ham players Paolo Di Canio (L) and Marc Keller were among the winning squadCredit: AFP
As well as a young Frank LampardCredit: AFP
The now-defunct competition is the trophy time forgot as far as supporters and the wider world are concerned.
But for Northern Irishman Lomas the ‘Intertwobob’, as it had been dubbed, was memorable for reasons that still make him chuckle today.
Not least was how winning it for West Ham landed the squad in a dream position of sharing a hotel with dozens of glamorous Playboy models.
Is there a better alternative to gruelling pre-season training with one-time team-mate Neil Ruddock?
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The Hammers stars were ordered back from summer holidays painfully early to prepare for a mid-July two-legged tie against tiny Finnish outfit FC Jokerit and it went from there.
By the end of August, they had played six games in all, knocking out Dutch side Heerenveen before beating French outfit Metz 3-2 on aggregate in the final on August 24.
The 1999 Intertoto Cup was hardly a rare prize — there were three winners after all. West Ham, Juventus and Montpellier.
And midfielder Lomas, now 49, said: “I was captain that night.
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“I went up to get the trophy from one of the dignitaries and he handed me this little sort of egg cup.
“I thought we would all get one and then hang around for the trophy. But that was the f****** trophy.
“One of the other lads kicked me and said, ‘Is this what we came back two weeks early for?’. He booted it across the dressing room later.
“If you look in West Ham’s trophy cabinet and see a tiny cup there with a little dent in it, you’ll know why. The club didn’t even buy us a medal.
“It was a weird tournament but it was a chance to avoid the monotony of pre-season training. Thank God we were getting away.
“We didn’t have to do pre-season running around bloody Hainault Forest for once. I don’t really mind that people don’t even think about it as a European trophy.
“We played in Holland as well and then beat a very good Metz side featuring a young Louis Saha.
“It was a brilliant experience. We saw great places and started the season well because we were match fit. It served its purpose.
“I think we were third or fourth at the start of that season as a result. Once we got into it, we loved it.”
Entering the Intertoto Cup, on application not merit, was a smart move by boss Harry Redknapp to get his players through pre-season training by playing football instead of mind-numbing drills.
The ‘triumph’ also put West Ham in the Uefa Cup, now the Europa League, for the first time. The fun was just starting.
After beating Croatians Osiejek in the first round they were drawn against tough Romanians Steaua Bucharest.
Lomas said: “When we got there Harry was taken aback by the place. Our hotel was bang in the centre of town and there was a Playboy Bunny convention going on. You couldn’t make it up.
“We were meant to be flying home after the game and there was Neil Ruddock making us all laugh, on his knees clowning around and pleading with Harry to let us stay another night. He even offered to pay the entire hotel bill if we did.
“The girls were on a separate floor to us and it was all just mucking about but I remember Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand were young, single lads at the time and their eyes were on stalks.”
Lomas has previously recounted how their already bizarre adventure took an even stranger twist before kick-off in the Romanian capital.
He said: “The whole crowd stood up as the dignitaries walked onto the pitch.
“We thought it must have been the president of the country but this geezer was wearing a Stetson hat. It was Larry Hagman — it was f****** JR Ewing.
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“Apparently they were so far behind everyone else on Dallas that old Larry was still a superstar in Romania.
“That whole summer just kept giving in terms of camaraderie. You remember the stories more than the games. It was great.” More

JARROD BOWEN has revealed how violent Dutch thugs battered families of West Ham stars with BIKE CHAINS as they tried to celebrate the club’s march to the Europa Conference League final.Bowen’s 70-year-old grandfather, Roger, and Hammers boss David Moyes’ 87-year-old dad, David Sr, were caught up in the horrific scenes at the end of the semi-final win over AZ Alkmaar.
Riots break out between supporters of AZ Alkmaar and West Ham in the standsCredit: AFP
West Ham stars became involved in fierce scuffles with Alkmaar’s ultras as they desperately tried to protect their loved ones from the sickening hooligan attack in the AFAS Stadion.
Speaking about the horror for the first time, Bowen declared: “It was a disgrace.
“I have never seen anything like that in football, that number of fans  wanting to cause violence. I had my 70-year-old grandad there, so I was looking over to see if he was OK.
“Us lads were angry. We are role models and have to keep calm heads but when it is your family getting attacked, people have to see it in a different light.
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“It’s your family, that’s your blood — and when you see people hitting them with bike chains, it wasn’t nice.
“They don’t want to go to a game and get punched by 50 people.”
Hordes of Dutch ultras tried to storm the stands behind the dugout where the Hammers’ friends and families were sitting.
Raging Bowen was held back from jumping into the melee but skipper Declan Rice was captured hurling a bottle at the yobs.
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Meanwhile, team-mates Said Benrahma, Flynn Downes and Michail Antonio also waded in to try to protect their VIPs from the carnage.
Lifelong Irons fan Chris Knolls, 58, fought off dozens of thugs from attacking the families and has been rewarded with a ticket to the Hammers’ first European final in almost 50 years.
Uefa have vowed to ramp up security for Wednesday’s showpiece against Fiorentina in Prague.
Bowen, 26, added: “We did our job by reaching the final but our families couldn’t enjoy the moment.
“I was looking for my family and you hope security does its best.“Luckily, in the end, everyone came out  unscathed. I didn’t hear  anyone was seriously injured.”
AZ Alkmaar have since issued 43 stadium bans to ultras but Rice, Benrahma, Downes and Antonio could yet face Uefa charges for their roles in the violence.
Bowen’s biggest issue now is getting enough sleep ahead of Wednesday’s showdown.
He and Love Island girlfriend Dani Dyer — daughter of TV legend and lifelong Hammers fan Danny — have recently become parents to twin daughters Summer and Star.
Bowen chuckled: “I am trying to get as much sleep as I can before the final.
“When the girls finally arrived two weeks ago it was the best feeling. They are back home and doing well.
AZ Alkmaar have since issued 43 stadium bans to ultrasCredit: Reuters
Jarrod Bowen recently became the father of twinsCredit: Getty
“We have got a sleeping schedule sorted. My missus had surgery so I was supporting all of them.”
It might not be the best preparation for the biggest game of Bowen’s career.
But the forward added: “I have dreamt about scoring in the final. I go into every game wanting to score, but scoring in this game would be massive.
“As long as we win, that is the main thing.
“Players want to be a part of a winning team but for the fans to not have that for so many years . . . to be the squad that gives it to them would be great.
“But the less you think about it the better.
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“Of course, you get excited, it is a final,  the pinnacle for the players and probably the biggest game of my career.

“I have played for England but when you are in a final, that’s so much bigger for this club, and to win a European trophy for your friends and team-mates, it is a  massive moment.
“We all want it but it is important not to get too psyched up. You have to find the balance.” More