WHEN Blackburn Rovers met FC Nancy in the Anglo-French Friendship Cup almost 25 years ago, the two-legged affair was anything but friendly.

And Rovers legend John Byrom revealed he was spat on by one of the French players during a fiery return leg across the channel.

He said: "They were a tough side and I can remember one of them spitting on me, right in my face.

"I turned round and said to Bryan Douglas, he just spat in my face, what should I do?', and he told me exactly what to do!"

Needless to say, the culprit regretted his actions.

Blackburn were invited to represent the Football League in the new competition along with Cardiff City, Derby County and Southampton.

Their opponents, Nancy, had a truly international flavour and included three Argentinians, a Pole and a Sudanese.

But their visit to East Lancashire failed to live up to its billing as they struggled to operate their slick passing game in the thick Ewood mud, and goals from Ronnie Clayton, Ian Lawther and Fred Pickering gave the home side a comfortable 3-1 win in front of 4,850 fans.

However, the return leg the following May was a different story altogether.

For John it was the first time he had played on the continent and the first time he had flown in an aeroplane.

The team's journey included a flight from Manchester to Paris, where they had lunch at Maxine's, before heading off on the train to Nancy, close to the German border.

And he recalled the single goal that cost them that night.

He said: "They had a free kick and our keeper, Bob Jones, was lining up the wall.

"Their bloke slipped it the other side of him into an empty net.

"I remember Bob turning to the referee and saying, hey ref, I wasn't ready!' "We all thought that was quite funny, although Bob didn't, and the goal stood."

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