“FFS,” screamed the editor’s response to the fact my piece would not be with him before my 8.30am flight departed.
Unreasonable, unnecessary and unfair. The paper did not come out for another two days!
Perhaps, he feared I was going to fall foul of the notorious temptations on offer in the Dutch city.
I say nothing… other than, on this occasion, he had nothing to worry about.
Soon back in Highbury, I filed by the end of play that day… some 24 hours before we went to print.
My interview with the then-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, the sole reason for my travels, filled our sports pages that weekend.
And my boss, who has since left, was extremely happy – and apologetic.
Of course, it could have been a very different story - had my taxi slammed head first into a pillar in the centre of the party capital of the universe, leaving me injured and unable to meet any deadline.
Yet, would it have been my fault? Would this have deserved a reprimand, an official warning and questions about my professionalism? No way would it!
Which is why Sergio Aguero should be left in peace to recover from two broken ribs after his cabbie careered and crashed in Amsterdam last Thursday night.
Unless the Manchester City ace was breaking club rules, by being abroad less than 48 hours before a game, he is a totally innocent victim of a serious slice of misfortune.
Yes, he is responsible for his extravagant jaunt, in that he chose on a day off to take a private jet to attend a concert in Holland. But he is free of any crime.
He was in a car accident. He deserves sympathy, not ex-pros and pundits lining up and mouthing off at his apparent lack of commitment to being a top athlete.
For all they know, Aguero could have been making these trips for years.
Maybe twisting to Latin American tunes is the Argentine's way of sharpening his lethal feet for the business of scoring goals week after week after week!
Maybe without this escape, he would become restless and unsettled in Manchester.
All Aguero is really guilty of is exposing how the other half live. Okay ‘half’ is stretching it, more like the ‘other 0.0001 per cent’.
But if that still upsets you, then take a look at what fuels this out-of-reach environment.
Forget the filthy-rich footballers. Concentrate on their employers instead. The Premier League elite.
While Aguero was creating headlines in another land, here the greedy Big Six were suddenly demanding a larger share of the EPL global TV revenue.
Their argument: They are more popular than the rest and, therefore, should each receive an extra £28m a year.
Do they not understand that so much of the joy and love for the English top flight stems from our matches being gripping, thrill-and-spill contests rarely seen elsewhere.
Why? Because the TV billions are divided equally, allowing the smaller clubs to spend and, hopefully, be capable of competing most weeks with the superpowers.
Start taking away that integral element and you start breaking the Premier League’s unique selling power.
How thick can they be? Do not bet against it happening, though – even if not this time round.
Apparently, three clubs, Everton, West Ham and Leicester, have already agreed to support the two Manchester outfits, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool.
That leaves them five short of the 14 required to win a vote that could well spell the beginning of the end.
Typical of what happens when billionaires get their hands around the throat of booming business.
Sick fat cats… always wanting to have their cake and eat it, too.
