West Auckland Town AFC have arranged a friendly with Italian giants Juventus.
The two clubs previously met in 1911, when West Auckland won 6-1 on the way to defending the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy, which was one of the earliest international competitions for club sides.
The match celebrates the centenary of West Auckland’s original cup triumph, which happened in Turin, April 1909. The team is planning to travel to the northern Italian city by coach and club manager, Stuart Alderson, believes that the trip will cost roughly £10,000.
Stuart has appealed to local people and businesses for support. He also added that the players were relishing the once-in-a-lifetime chance to play such an illustrious opponent. He said, “They will never get something like this in their lifetime again.
“This is just a one-off. They will never forget it, going across and playing a game like this.”
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
