ALTRINCHAM director Neil Faulkner has pulled off a major coup for the club after securing the services of World Cup winner Ossie Ardiles and his former Tottenham team-mate Micky Hazard for a sporting dinner at The J.Davidson Stadium.

Ardiles, who inspired Argentina to World Cup glory in 1978 before going head-to-head with John King in a memorable midfield duel against Alty at White Hart Lane the following year, will be the star attraction at what promises to be an unforgettable evening in the Community Sports Hall on Friday, April 20.

The event was originally pencilled in for Friday, March 16, until Sky decided to change Tottenham's home game with Newcastle to that date for live TV coverage.

With Ardiles and Hazard both contracted to Tottenham for hospitality work, Alty were forced to alter their plans and reschedule for April 20.

With King and many of his fellow Alty Cup heroes on the guest list, there has been a scramble to snap up tickets at £35 each, and the function looks sure to be a sell-out.

Explaining how an exchange of tweets with Hazard helped set up an evening that should be awash with nostalgia, Faulkner said: "I wanted to arrange a dinner that would do justice to the Tottenham-Altrincham history, after we played them three times in the FA Cup, and I just thought who better than Ossie Ardiles, famed as a World Cup winner and, as far as Alty fans are concerned, those battles with John King?

"I set about trying to get hold of Ossie without much success, but I did notice he and Micky were doing a lot of sporting dinners. I knew Micky was on Twitter, so I tweeted him, and, to my delight, he tweeted back immediately, saying let's go for it.

"I couldn't believe how quickly he responded, and it went on from there pretty rapidly. I just thought it was worth a punt, and I'm delighted it has paid off.

"From the feedback I've had, I get the impression Ossie is up for it just as much as Micky, and it's going to be a bit special having him and Kingy in the same room together. Will Ossie remember him? How could he ever forget him. He'll probably bring a pair of shin pads with him.

"The idea is to fill a table with Alty players from that era, and we will be contacting them, to get as many along as possible.

"It is fantastic news for the club, a real coup, to have a World Cup winner and another exceptionally-skilful midfielder in Micky Hazard, who won two FA Cups with Tottenham.

"We're hoping the Community Sports Hall will be packed, completely sold out, and there's every reason for believing it will be.

"The original date was a sell-out, but we can't yet confirm the same for April 20 because we're still contacting people about the change. It's possible there may be the odd ticket or two left, so I'd urge anyone interested to check with the club on 0161 928 1045 or office@altrinchamfootballclub.co.uk."