STRANGE DAYS IN "EUROPE"

Today I notice that Sutton United and Boreham Wood are back on "terra firma" (see last week's blog)-that is they are no longer playing cup football in Scotland, but are back to the humdrum English National League. In Scotland Sutton's cup opponents Airdrie lost to East Fife 2-1 and Boreham Wood's opponents Dunfermline drew 0-0 with Alloa Athletic. Mind you Boreham Wood were hosting a northern club today drawing with Barrow in Furness! Sutton went south to Havant and Waterlooville, winning 2-1
I was interested to see that on this day Derby County were playing foreign opposition, being  knocked out of the 1975/6 Uefa Cup by the great Real Madrid.
The following season, their next Uefa tie was against Finn Harps from Ireland and the Rams, having not won in their previous 8 league games, beat the Harps 12-0. The half time score was 9-0 and goals were scored by Kevin Hector 5-0, Charlie George 3, Leighton James 3 and Bruce Rioch.
In their second tie Derby won 4-1, no doubt with a weakened team! The image below is a "newspaper" style programme, a new idea by the Derby commercial department!! Not popular apparently.


Sadly The Rams met their match in the next round losing to AEK Athens 2-5 on aggregate.
 In 1982 Swansea City beat Sliema Wanderers from Malta, in the European Cup Winners Cup, 12-0, with eight different scorers, the biggest victory by a Welsh team in Europe. The away fixture resulted in a 5-0 win so 17 overall.
On the other hand, in 1990 Swansea lost 0-8 to Liverpool in the FA Cup and in 1991 having only lost to AS Monaco 1-2 at home in the European Cup Winners Cup, the aggregate ended 1-12 with a 1-10 thumping in France.
Swansea Town was founded in 1912 and joined the Football League in 1921. The club changed its name in 1969 when Swansea gained "city" status.