They have seen more than a few Stevenage games over the years but even Steve Watkins and Dean Thompson were left taken aback by Boro's promotion to League One.

The pair are known as the commentary team on BBC Three Counties radio as well as the club's iFollow service.

But after the smoke, literally, had cleared the pitch along with the delirious fans, once the sports show had gone off air, the pair had time to reflect on the enormity of the occasion.

"It's incredible, isn't it," said Deano. "You just never saw it coming back in July, did you?

"We were doing alright in September and October but by November you started to think that this was getting pretty serious. 

"I still didn't believe it until Orient at home I suppose, when we just absolutely brushed them off the park. 

"Then February came along and really put a speed bump in the way but the gaffer always said that we wouldn’t win a game in February. 

"It was like he planned it. 

"The sun is shining, the ground’s full. The last two promotions have been at Kidderminster and Old Trafford so it's nice to do it at the Lamex."

The moment when every Boro fan suddenly realised it was actually going to happen was the second goal in the 2-0 win over Grimsby Town. 

That came from Luther James-Wildin, someone Dean has grown close to in his time at the club, and it led to the summariser standing up with his arms outstetched like a Poundland Angel of the North, while his mate looked to be fighting back the overwhelming emotion. 

"I didn't speak," said Dean. "I just stood and my arms were up. The funny thing was [Luther and I] talked about it [on Friday] and he said he'd scored three goals in training and I said ‘what, was there no goalie in the goal’? 

"He was like ‘no, they were proper shots, a proper goalkeeper’. 

"Steve always has his little bit on bet on TVC, I have me little pound on Luther but did I do it today? No. 

"It was like him when Terence scored. He didn't have his pound on either. 

"Those two have cost us a fortune,” chimed in Steve, who up to this point had been sat almost in quiet contemplation as he packed away the radio kit. 

"Yeah. And when they do score, we’re nowhere near it,” replied Dean. 

"But yeah, it's right though, isn't it? These players, they just like being in each other's company. 

"It's an atmosphere. I've not seen for many, many years here and you just wonder how he puts it all together and how those guys in that dressing room do it. 

"They spend five days a week together and you think sometimes they must get on each other's nerves. 

"But I just don't think it does. 

"And you can't get rid of any of them. I need them in my bar spending money. 

"I [jokingly] promised Danny Rose a lock-in but I think he wants to take me up on that."

He needn't have worried as there was plenty of money spent on drink in the Old Town on Saturday night as players and fans mixed, singing songs, talking and generally milking in the success.

And it is an achievement that is among the very best the club has given its supporters.

"I missed Old Trafford," said Deano. "I wasn't there because nobody planned for that. 

"Kidderminster was special and I remember being here against Hendon, where we won 3-0 in the old Diadora Premier (Isthmian) to get into the Conference. 

"[This] is up there, isn't it? It's up there, definitely because of what happened in the last three years. 

"And again, you never saw it coming, we have been nowhere near it. We’ve just been panicking about relegation for three seasons. 

"Through lockdown, it was horrible sitting here and watching football in an empty ground. In fact, I couldn't do it at times, it was just so awful. 

"But you got lads like him [Max Clark, who picked that moment to saunter towards the tunnel], you’ve got lads like Rosie, they have just got such a positive attitude and they’ve always got a smile on their face. 

"You can take the mickey out of them, they can take the mickey out of you, they are just so down to earth. 

"There's no egos in any of them. You look at Pidge, you look at Sweeney, they're just the same kind of guys. 

"That’s enough for me and we just have to keep hold of some of them because you want momentum going into League One. 

"That helps when you're a small team up against your Sheffield Wednesdays and your Derbys. 

"That's what happened with Stevenage before. We got into League One and straight into the play-offs."