As Larne prepare to line up at Inver Park against Red Star Belgrade in the opening leg of their Champions League second qualifying round fixture on Tuesday, they trace the route taken by another Irish League outfit that met the celebrated European side during its prime 35 years ago.

Red Star launched their title defence of the European Cup they claimed the season before by overcoming then Irish League champions Portadown 8-0 on aggregate during the autumn of 1991.

The opening match, staged in Szeged in Hungary instead of Belgrade owing to the worsening security conditions in what was then Yugoslavia, ended with Portadown beaten 4-0.

The return fixture at Shamrock Park finished with the identical result.

The European Cup came before the Champions League as Europe's top club tournament and included solely the champions of the participating nations in an open draw.

The Portadown squad that marked consecutive domestic league successes in 1990 and 1991 featured long-serving goalkeeper Mickey Keenan, defender Philip Major, midfielders Martin Russell and Paul Doolin, along with the noted Scottish forward pairing of Stevie Cowan and Sandy Fraser.

The central defensive duo of Alfie Stewart and Brian Strain also contributed significantly to the achievements of the Mid Ulster club, guided by renowned Irish League manager Ronnie McFall.

In conversation with BBC Sport NI's Joel Bell, Stewart recalled learning of his team's opponents via a once-popular television text service.

"Back in the day the only way of finding out who you were playing in the draw was to switch on to Ceefax and that was how I found out," he said.

"I almost fainted when I found out it was Red Star Belgrade, the European champions, but you quickly switch into excited mode as it's a chance in a million.

"To go to Yugoslavia as it was then before the break-up of the Balkan States, was something to look forward to."

Stewart had already featured in Europe with previous club Glentoran, before experiencing further "special" journeys with Portadown.

"Even though we were playing across the border, the Serbians had come across in great numbers and they were very loud and very hostile," he explained of the away leg in Hungary.

"It made the occasion a bit more difficult but it's always great walking out into an atmosphere like that as a footballer. Those are the nights that you dream of.

"When you stand beside these guys and they're 6'3'' or 6'4'', you were facing supreme athletes with sheer power and pace and it was a challenge.

"People have asked me over the years, what's it like when you play against those elite full-time players and it's simply this - they think quicker, they run quicker, they're stronger.

"You were apprehensive, but not afraid, because my attitude was to embrace it. You're in awe of them but you have a job to do and you don't want to let yourself down."

The Ports defender considered a four-goal defeat against the continent's finest side a respectable result.

"We came out at the end of the night having lost 4-0 after conceding two late goals but we were extremely proud of how we performed on the night and met the challenge.

"Sinisa Mihajlovic went on from Red Star to play most of his career in Italy with Lazio and Sampdoria. He was something special and he scored two late free-kicks from outside the box.

"When you saw those free-kicks being taken from 30 yards out you probably thought that you were safe but this guy, he ended his career being recognised as one of the greatest dead ball specialists that the game had ever seen. He stood out."

The second leg at Shamrock Park proved a memorable evening, with 1991 European Golden Boot winner Darko Pancev among the goalscorers for the distinguished visitors.

"There was great excitement. It was a tremendous night for the fans, a tremendous reward for their support," reflected Stewart.

"To have the European champions playing at Shamrock Park it is something that will never happen again, probably at any Irish League ground.

"Darko Pancev, who moved to AC Milan a year after, he was scoring goals for fun in the Yugoslav league and moved to Italy, which at that time was the place to be just as the Premier League is now. He was a fantastic striker."

Current Irish League champions Larne will host Red Star in the first leg of their tie on Tuesday, 21 July (20:00 BST), with the second leg away from home on Wednesday, 29 July (19:00 BST).