Now I have to admit that I'm not usually one to get scared *beats chest* but as we made the considerable walk from our hostel nestled in the centre of Belgrade, into the suburbs towards Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade's) Rajko Mitić Stadium, my heart was beating like a drum.
Even in the city centre (a full two or three miles away) stern faced riot police and soldiers lined every corner ahead of what is known worldwide as The Eternal Derby.
Our journey to the match started two days earlier when we traveled to the stadium otherwise known as the Marakana in the hope of scoring tickets.
The 55,538 arena is certainly showing its age having been first opened in 1963, and if you walk around the perimeter of the bowl you will find graffiti daubed by Red Star's most fanatic supporters The Delije (Heroes), piles of rubble and even the odd dead rat.
A short five minute walk away is Partizan Belgrade's 32,710 ground and between the two bitter rivals, they boast 53 national championships (Red Star's 27 to Partizan's 26), 37 national cups (13 for Partizan and 24 for Red Star) and a European Cup won by Red Star in 1991.
As a result of the unrivaled riches of the EFL and La Liga, Eastern European football is somewhat in the doldrums with neither Red Star or Partizan having qualified for the Champions League group stages since 2010.
Teams are made up of journeyman from all corners of the globe, local players who couldn't quite cut it abroad and exciting youngsters who use Red Star and Partizan as a stepping stone west.
The fixture is famed for the intense hatred between the two sets of supporters which regularly spills over into violent scenes and spectacular pyrotechnic displays.
The tension as we walked to the game was palpable and we briskly strode in a deafening silence surrounded by the eagle-eyed authorities.
We tried not to draw any attention to ourselves and ensured we dressed for the occasion, not evidently wearing the colours of either team.
As we entered the vast bowl of the Marakana we found our seats and sat watching the Delije and Grobari (Partizan's firm The Grave Diggers) assemble, but nothing could prepare us for what to follow.
At kick off the ground was near enough full, barring rows of seats left unattended in an effort to deter any potential troublemakers from attacking rival fans.
Both sets off supporters took it in turns to produce breath-taking displays and hurl deafeningly loud abuse at each other.
Particular highlights were Red Star's sparkler and choreography display and Partizan fans setting off of some sort of giant smoke cloud which held the game up for several minutes whilst the smoke cleared.
Flares were set off at regular intervals and the displays produced an incredible sight, all this despite police seizing more than 1,000 before kick off.
I can't even begin to think how many flares would have been held aloft had police not discovered them hidden in the stadium beforehand and it's also worth considering that I struggle to even get a bottle top into grounds in the UK.
The game itself was ok, sporadic moments of quality coupled with slap-stick play acting and both teams had a number of bright youngsters on show, many of whom I fully expect to one day see in the EPL or Serie A.
Red Star looked to be heading towards a victory which would have taken them nine points clear of their rivals but Partizan's late equaliser prompted incredible scenes behind the goal and meant that the title race goes on for the time being at least.
Both sets of fans chanted non-stop for 90 minutes and the noise was like a tidal wave reverberating around the stadium.
I found myself spending more time watching the action off the pitch than on it and have never experienced such an intense and simply loud atmosphere in all my years.
After the game we joined the thousands and made our way back to the city centre on foot and despite being borderline petrified on the way to the game, we made our way home safely without a nasty word said in our direction.
So, if there's anybody out there (like me), who is bored of the sanitised atmosphere of the EPL and is willing to sacrifice quality on the pitch for unrivaled passion off it, then look no further than the Belgrade Derby.
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