'PROMOTION? WE HAVE DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE'

STEVENAGE fans weren't the only ones celebrating when Boro pulled off an improbable promotion to League One last weekend.

- Chris Dunlavy

Sixty miles up the A1, Northern Premier League side Stamford were also raising a toast.

Boro boss Steve Evans started his managerial career with the Daniels in 1994 and earlier in the year was asked if he'd like to be guest of honour at the club's end of season awards.

"I said I'd be honoured," explains the 60-year-old Glaswegian. "But on one condition - we had to be promoted. If it was still in the balance, I'd be staying at home!" Thankfully for everyone, Stevenage got the job done, a 2-0 victory against Grimsby at the Lamex sealing automatic promotion with a game to spare.

So it was that whilst the club's victorious staff and players celebrated with jubilant supporters in the town centre, their manager set off for the Vic Couzens Stadium.

"It was hard to come away from that, and I don't know how it went down in Stevenage," admits Evans. "But you can't forget where you started, can you? "That was my first proper club that I managed and when they asked me I was humbled. I went along with my brother-in-law, presented the awards and I got the most fantastic warm reception.

"It was a great way to celebrate. These days, I couldn't wish for anything more than to win a promotion, see some old friends, then spend the weekend at home with the family and the grandkids. It was absolutely fantastic." If Stamford was the club that launched Evans' career then Stevenage certainly won't begrudge them a managerial loan for the evening.

When the former Crawley, Gillingham, Leeds and Peterborough boss answered an SOS from chairman Phil Wallace in March last year, the club sat 22nd in League Two and were not for the first time in recent years - nervously eyeing the National League.

Frantic

Evans propelled them to safety with three games to spare, then set about making pre-season odds of 66-1 for promotion look farcical.