Glenavon to finally face their European Cup opponents... 64 years after draw was made

NI football club had been drawn to play east German side Erzgebirge Aue in 1960 but were refused visas during Cold War

The 1959/60 Glenavon Irish League winning squad. Pic: Glenavon FC

Glenavon’s supporters’ liaison officer Adam Carson (second from left) pictured with Glenavon and Erzgebirge Aue fans at Mourneview Park earlier this season. Pic: Spirit of 2014 Glenavon Supporters Club

Erzgebirge Aue’s sports director Matthias Heidrich (right) being shown around Mourneview Park earlier this season.

Glenavon will travel to FC Erzgebirge Aue's Erzgebirgsstadion in July. Pic: FC Erzgebirge Aue

Glenavon will travel to Germany in July 2024 to finally play their 1960/61 European Cup tie. Pic: Alan Weir/Pacemaker Press

Glenavon are heading for Europe this summer as they look forward to finally playing their European Cup opponents — 64 years after the draw was made.

This July, the Lurgan Blues are travelling to east German side Erzgebirge Aue, who play in the Bundesliga third division, to fulfil the clubs’ preliminary round of the 1960/61 European Cup in a special pre-season friendly.

Back then, Erzgebirge Aue were known as Wismut and may as well have been on another planet as the Iron Curtain split Europe down the middle during the Cold War.

Glenavon’s supporters’ liaison officer Adam Carson (second from left) pictured with Glenavon and Erzgebirge Aue fans at Mourneview Park earlier this season. Pic: Spirit of 2014 Glenavon Supporters Club

Glenavon qualified for the European Cup as Irish League champions but were forced to withdraw when the club was refused visas for East Germany, while Wismut were denied by the British embassy in Berlin.

Uefa had allowed the home and away legs to take place in neutral countries but that was not