The Greatest: English Intertoto Cup matches

1 FC Cologne 8 Tottenham Hotspur 0, July 22, 1995: group match

The result causes great amusement as Tottenham show contempt for the competition by fielding a team of youngsters. The midsummer start prompts Erich Ribbeck, the Bayer Leverkusen coach, to say: “Every manager who supports this competition deserves to be fired.” Gerry Francis, of Tottenham, merits his place in the dugout on this evidence.

2 Metz 1 West Ham United 3, August 24, 1999: final, second leg (West Ham win 3-2 on aggregate)

The competition has greater allure when a Uefa Cup place is only one step away and West Ham are delighted to win this final after losing the home leg to a goal scored by Louis Saha. Trevor Sinclair, Frank Lampard and Paulo Wanchope are on target in France to put the English club into Europe proper.

3 Fulham 3 Bologna 1, August 27, 2002: final, second leg (Fulham win 5-3 on aggregate)

Junichi Inamoto, the Japan midfield player, steers Fulham into senior European competition for the first time in their history with a hat-trick at the club’s temporary Loftus Road home. The Japanese, a scorer in the 2-2 draw in the first leg in Italy, is on loan from Arsenal and making his first start for their London rivals, Fulham.

4 Newcastle United 4 Troyes 4, August 21, 2001: final, second leg (agg 4-4; Troyes win on away goals rule)

After a goalless first leg in France, Newcastle take a second-minute lead through Nolberto Solano but trail 4-1 on the hour. Needing to score four times, the home side hit back with goals by Shola Ameobi and Gary Speed, the latter a penalty, and Aaron Hughes’s stoppage-time equaliser restores some pride.