Saturday’s Madrid derby between nine-times European champions Real and 1974 runners-up Atletico was not the only meeting of two former European Cup finalists to take place over the weekend.

In Englands third division, where Leyton Orient top the table and Carlisle United follow close by, bottom of the table Leeds United visited 18th place Nottingham Forest in a match that pitted the European champions of 1979 and 1980 against the runners up of 1975.

A late winner from Jermaine Beckford gave Leeds a 2-1 victory over the double champions to maintain their perfect start to the season as they claw back a 15-point deduction.

The match created a footnote in European football history, as it was the first to be contested by two former finalists at such a lowly domestic level.

For Leeds in particular, it marks a sharp contrast not only to the 1975  team of Giles, Hunter and Bremner who lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich, but also to David OLearys side who reached the Champions League semi-final six years ago.

With both sides still commanding crowds of over 20,000 (on Saturday at the City Ground it was 25,237) and Forest planning to move to a new 50,000 capacity stadium by 2014, there is certainly hope that the two teams might reclaim past glories.

Or like Stade Reims, the French side who contested the first European Cup final in 1956 will they become all-but-forgotten postscripts in footballs history books?

Padraic Halpin, London