Newport County to play friendly against Germany's Carl Zeiss Jena

Newport County will play a friendly against Carl Zeiss Jena on 13 July as part of the German club's 110th anniversary celebrations.

The clubs last met in the quarter final of the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1981 when Jena won 3-2 on aggregate.

Newport return to the Football League after a 25-year absence next season after winning the Conference play-off.

"Going to Carl Zeiss Jena will bring back so many memories," said County director of football Tim Harries.

Manager Justin Edinburgh guided Newport back into the Football League for the first time since 1988 with a 2-0 win over Wrexham at Wembley on 6 May.

The club's link with Jena was forged when the teams met in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1981.

At that time Newport County were Welsh Cup holders and were in the old Division Three of the Football League.

Now Jena have invited the Welsh to play them in Germany to help mark their 110th anniversary and rekindle the friendship between the clubs.

FC Carl Zeiss Jena President Rainer Zipfel told the Newport County website: "We are very pleased about Newport County.

"This is quite a special game for us and for our fans. It is something very emotional."

Newport earned a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Jena in 1981, but a 1-0 defeat at Somerton Park in the second leg saw the German team advance to the semi final.

They were eventually beaten 2-1 in the final by Dinamo Tbilisi.