"I'M just so glad I came and so glad that all the boys came – it was everything I dreamed of and more."
Joe Waters' 5,000-mile journey back to his beloved Blundell Park, to remember the last Grimsby Town side to win a divisional championship, had definitely been worthwhile.
The manager of that Division Three title-winning team of 1979/80, George Kerr, welcomed his skipper back along with former boss John Newman and another 15 of his players, for a very special evening.
The Mariners Trust had decided it was high time to remember Kerr's boys of 1980 – who had also won promotion from Division Four the season before.
And Town's fans responded in force, packing into McMenemy's to rub shoulders with a golden generation of Mariners – many of who hailed from the town itself.
The night was tinged with sadness after the recent passing of one such local hero, Kevin Moore.
But a minute's applause in memory of the man who made more than 400 appearances for his hometown club ensured he was remembered in fitting, and very emotional, style.
A donation from the evening will be made to a charity chosen by Kevin Moore's family with the remainder of the proceeds going to Town's Youth set-up.
And the figurehead of the event, Kerr, was delighted to bring his triumphant side back together after all these years.
"It's wonderful – we haven't been together for such a long time," he told the Telegraph on Friday evening.
"Individually, I've seen some of them over the last 30 years but never all of them together.
"These boys are loved by everyone at the club and that's shown in the turnout to see them. There was some fantastic talent in that team.
"But it's also a sad occasion after we lost Kevin recently – he was a very important part of the whole thing and is sadly missed by us all, as is Shaun Mawer.
"I live in this town and refuse to move from this town, which shows what Grimsby means to me.
"I was very, very ill earlier this year, so this reunion means the world to me."
Waters – another to pass the 400- appearance mark for the club – made a rare return from the United States to see his old team-mates.
He said: "It's absolutely amazing. As the guys came in, I recognised them all instantly – although they're a little bit different in certain ways!
"I'm just so glad I came and so glad that all the boys came – it's everything I dreamed of and more.
"A lot of them had to do a lot to make it, and we may never get the chance to do it again."
Amongst the homegrown talent back at BP were Kevin Drinkell, Tony Ford and Dave Moore.
"I haven't seen boys like 'wee' Joe (Waters) for such a long time, while Nigel (Batch) used to be my room-mate, so I've been looking forward to this catch-up for a long time," said Drinkell, who went on to play in the top-flight for Norwich City after his Town departure.
"The amount of memories and stories over that five, six, seven year period is frightening, and one night just isn't long enough to go through them all."
Ford, a player to achieve the rare feat of more than 1,000 career appearances, added: "It's a fantastic turnout – both in terms of the fans and the players – and there are far more than I thought.
"But the amazing thing is that we all recognise each other, so we can't have changed too much!
"It was a fantastic time in 1980, especially for us lads who came up from the Youth team and got the chance to play for the first team.
"We all just enjoyed playing football and that helped us achieve so much success, which was the icing on the cake."
The side's goalkeeper and yet another member of the '400 club', Nigel Batch, summed up the evening perfectly.
"It's just brilliant to see all the old lads for a good drink and a laugh, back where it all began," he remarked.
"We haven't had a night like this before and it brings all those fantastic memories flooding back when you meet up with your old pals again."
