GREEK supporters are renowned for being passionate and occasionally going over the top. Olympiacos and Panathinaikos are two of the biggest clubs in Greece and their fanatical fans have often gone a step too far in trying to intimidate opponents.

Newcastle found that out last season when they had a trip to Olympiacos and they were accompanied on to the pitch by oranges, bottles, chairs and anything else the Greeks could get their hands on.

But that was Athens and, we're reliably informed, Middlesbrough's trip to Xanthi will be completely different.

Scaremongering remains high on the home supporters' agenda in the Arena tonight, but over-the-top antics are something that will be saved for the visit of Athens' big two, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos.

A journalist from Greek national newspaper Rizospastis, John Grivas, explained: "The fans are very passionate about their sport in this part of the country, but not violent.

"Sometimes in Greece all sorts of things can be thrown at the players and away supporters but you won't see that in Xanthi. The fans are very loud and they will try to frighten Middlesbrough. But they will not do it in a violent way."

Apparently 6,700 tickets have been sold to Xanthi supporters, who view tonight's visit of an English Premiership club as one of the biggest in their history.

Like Boro, this is only Xanthi's second European campaign and is still something of a novelty. "It's a completely football orientated area. The fans love their football," said Grivas. "It's a sign of how important this game is that the weekend league game with Lavriakos was seen as preparation for this one."

Grivas, incidentally, was not too impressed on his visit to Teesside two weeks ago. "There wasn't much to do and it's not particularly pretty, is it?" were his words. So surely Xanthi must be a little more picturesque? In a word, no.

The Hotel Natassa, where the press corps are stationed, is situated on a petrol station forecourt and the views, apart from the towering mountains behind us, are not particularly pleasant. Hopefully there will be more to see in the centre today.

XANTHI, with a population of just 40,000, is situated in the Macedonia and Thrace district of Greece and is capital of Greece Prefecture.

It is twinned with numerous other European cities, including Biga in Turkey and Gifhorn in Germany. Xanthi is just 100 miles from the Turkish border and is connected with the rest of the continent by the small military Kavala airport, around half an hour away.

On an annual basis there are 15 days of Carnival celebrations during Mardi Gras and the Parade highlights local customs and traditions in comparison to the rest of the world.

It is an historic place and the Old Town is renowned for its tavernas and restaurants. The majority of those emerged during a period of rapid growth between 1870 and 1910, when wealth arrived on the back of a successful local tobacco industry.

WHEN the draw for the UEFA Cup first round was made, Boro supporters rushed on to the internet sites to check for cheap flights to Xanthi - not knowing that there were two in Greece.

The one we have travelled to is closer to the capital of Turkey, Istanbul, than it is to Athens and is a small rural town in the northern area of Greece, near the border to Bulgaria.

The other, pronounced the same but spelt Zante, is a lively island where scores of young Brits go every summer to get drunk.

And it was clear where the air crew thought they were flying to when we boarded the flight at Durham Tees-Valley airport yesterday. Fresh from hearing they will be staying in Greece until the return flight on Friday, one flight attendant claimed the beach towel was packed and ready to party. The smile quickly disappeared when the real destination emerged.