1 Jul 2009Non-league club to play Juventus to mark 100th anniversary

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A non-league club in Durham are preparing for a major payday next month as Italian giants Juventus are set to play them in a pre-season friendly.

West Auckland Town have been given a £10,000 donation by the Football Association to head to Turin to mark the 100th anniversary of the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy.

The Northern League club beat Juventus 6-1 on that occasion to win the tournament, which is widely regarded as the first World Cup.

West Auckland Town defeated Swiss side Winterthur in the 1907 final before returning to the final two years later where they overwhelmed the most successful domestic team in the history of Italian football.

FA chairman Lord Triesman said: "We are delighted to support West Auckland FC's return to Turin.

"This is a wonderful story and it's only right that they will be in Italy to commemorate the remarkable achievement of winning the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy."

Juventus are the 27-time winners of Serie A, while also winning the UEFA Champions League on two occasions.

Written by Craig Kemp

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