09 June 2023 , 15:02
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West Ham enjoyed a memorable few days in Prague as they lifted the Europa Conference League trophy — and Mirror Football was there to catch it all.
Jarrod Bowen netted in the final minute of normal time to hand the Hammers a famous win, after Said Benrahma’s penalty had earlier been cancelled out by Giacomo Bonaventura of Fiorentina.
Declan Rice then lifted the trophy in what is likely to be the final act of his West Ham career.
Despite having an allocation of less than 5,000 tickets for the match at the Eden Arena, more than 20,000 Hammers descended on the Czech capital for the game.
Like many of those travelling, Mirror Football even took a circuitous route to get to Prague, travelling via a Eurostar to Paris before catching a flight from the French capital with bus rides in London and the Czech Republic in between.
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On the night before the final, thousands of West Ham fans took over Prague’s Old Town, turning it claret and blue.
Despite bringing the typical British summer weather of a downpour with them, the Hammers contingent made sure Prague knew they had arrived.
On the day of the game, Mirror Football entrenched itself within the West Ham fanbase in two locations in the city.
Fans again continued to congregate in the Old Town of Prague, with the numbers having swelled since Tuesday.
As the day progressed, more and more supporters made their way across town to where a fan zone was based in Letna Park.
Throughout the day, those at the fan zone were treated to appearances from former Hammers players such as Ian Bishop and Ludek Miklosko, and a special set from the one and only Chesney Hawkes.
It ensured the atmosphere built nicely in the fan park ahead of kick off, with a sense of anticipation and excitement in the air.
While the first half passed without little goalmouth action, West Ham fans were jubilant when Benrahma opened the scoring after a VAR check awarded them a spot kick.
They were equally aghast when Bonaventura equalised just five minutes later with a smart finish into the bottom corner.
Around Letna Park, there was a sense of inevitably as the clock ticked towards extra time, and possibly penalties.
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That was until Bowen popped up with seconds remaining, latching onto a Lucas Paqueta through ball before calmly slotting home to spark wild scenes of jubilation.
It was a night those in Prague, bet it at the game or in the fan zone, will likely never forget.
Some fans described it as the best night of their lives, others said it had been worth the 43-year wait for a trophy.
And for everyone from West Ham, who had made it to Prague by planes, trains and automobiles, it was worth every second of their journey — bring on the Europa League final in Dublin!