51 year old here too. Just like you...when I started we were seen as one of the biggest 4 or 5 teams in the country and trophies were always within reach. Oyur generation have seen it all. I'd say the majority of the people in Porto were from our generation: kids wwhen we were good, men staying defiantly loyal when we were shit, drinking it in when we became great. It felt like the end of that journey out there but wasn't to be, which in itself was king of fitting.
No Man United fan could ever understand how it felt when we won the FA Cup in 11, the league in 12 and how it will feel when we finally reach the pinnacle and with the Champions league.