The Unofficial European Cup 1960-61 Preliminary Round Second Leg...
The Cold War claimed many victims, none more so than Glenavon of Northern Ireland. Back in 1960, the Lurgan based side made the European Cup, with the preliminary round throwing up a tie against Wismut Karl Marx Stadt of East Germany. You can probably guess how it unfolded, in that it didn't unfold at all. The Lurgan Blues were unable to travel beyond the Iron Curtain, meaning Wismut Karl Marx Stadt (now known as Erzgebirge Aue) received a walkover into Round One without even kicking a ball. But why did the East German side go through? Well, it was a familiar tale of the side with more limited finances being punished. UEFA allowed both legs to be played in neutral venues, but Glenavon simply couldn't afford to travel, and so we were left with a game that never was. End of story? Well, not quite. We may be 65 years beyond this miscarriage of justice, but believe it or not, this tie still isn't over. A year ago, Glenavon traveled to Aue to replay this first leg, where they w...