On Saturday, two Argentinian football legends celebrated their national independence day in an English village pub. Ossie Ardiles and Ricardo Villa were guests of honour at the Fox and Hounds in Barley, Hertfordshire, and even managed to watch the FA Cup Final on a big screen in the garden. The pub owner, Graham Smith-Bernal, is a friend of the former Tottenham and Argentina stars and his wife is from South America.
Ardiles, who lives in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and Villa, who lives in Argentina and is visiting England, answered punters’ questions about football after watching Manchester United beat Manchester City at Wembley on a television screen in the pub garden. Villa scored one of the most famous goals in Wembley history when Spurs beat Manchester City in the 1981 FA Cup Final replay against Manchester City – Ardiles was also in the side.
Mr Smith-Bernal, who also owns the Newsells Park Stud near Royston, said he had got to know many former Spurs players through horse racing and supporting the club. He said “a lot” of former Tottenham “legends” were involved with the stud and drank in the pub. “May 25 is a special day in Argentina,” Mr Bernal-Smith said. His wife Marcela is Bolivian. “We have the FA Cup. We thought, why not have Argentinian meats and sausages – and then a wine tasting and celebrate May 25.”
Ardiles said: “We were absolutely delighted to be here. It’s a lovely, lovely Argentinian barbecue. Argentinian wine. All the people who support Spurs will be very happy to see Ricky Villa here. He scored a wonderful, wonderful goal. The best goal of the century they say, in Wembley, when we beat Manchester City 3-2. Ricky scored the winning goal.
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