WATCH: Hundreds of German football fans march through Lurgan streets for Glenavon friendly match

Over 1,000 supporters made the trip to represent German third-tier side Erzgebirge Aue against Glenavon in a pre-season friendly arranged to commemorate a planned European Cup tie from the 1960-61 season ultimately cancelled due to visa issues as the Iron Curtain fell across Europe.

In the Parades Commission-sanctioned march, fans started out at Brownlow House and were greeted along the walk to Glenavon’s Mourneview Park stadium by Lurgan locals cheering on the visitors.

A special fan zone dominated the stadium car park area as supporters from both clubs enjoyed the extensive pre-match hospitality food and beverage stalls, exchanged club mementoes and took in the atmosphere of the landmark occasion.

The visitors’ team coach arrived at Mourneview Park flanked by members of The Violet Bikers, a special supporters’ club of motorcyclists tied to Erzgebirge Aue.

In the 1960s, both the East Germany-based club – then playing under the name of Wismut – and Glenavon were denied visas for the European competition.

One special guest at Mourneview Park on Saturday was John Dugan, a player from Glenavon’s title-winning squad in 1960, now 91 years old.

Fans were entertained by Belfast’s Laganvale brass band ahead of kick-off – with both sets of supporters joining in a rendition of Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’, now adopted as a popular football anthem.

Saturday’s meeting finished in a 2-0 win for Erzgebirge Aue.

A Glenavon party of players, officials and supporters made the trip last year to Germany for a game between the clubs in Erzgebirge Aue’s 16,500-capacity stadium.

A number of visiting fans took in Friday’s Charity Shield game at Windsor Park between Dungannon Swifts and Linfield, along with the city hospitality - with some keen on spending extra time travelling around Northern Ireland’s tourist spots before heading back to Germany.