Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 https://twitter.com/markjmcintoshStory online soon. IF Linfield play Celtic, the game at WP likely to be July 11 with an early kick-off. Celtic happy, PSNI no complaints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 Am hearing it looks like a lunchtime kick-off on the 11th. Time for me to GTF quickly after the game and, hopefully, fly home to Glasgow or Embra at tea time, or earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 29 minutes ago, The OP said: Think they bar Croatian and Serbian teams from drawing other and I'm sure they do similar jiggery pokery with other Balkan countries. I suppose they can't have a rule saying 'If Celtic are to be drawn against Cliftonville or Derry Donegal Celtic it's fine but if they get Linfield or Crusaders we'll redo the draw'. ETA - Just occurs to me that I don't think Derry are in the Northern Irish league. O.K? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 From another poster on ILF, but he pretty much sums up my views on this, "No harm, but this has the potential to be a disaster, and anyone with OUR Club's best interests at heart will see that straight away....and for a number of reasons: 1. There will, inevitably, be SO much focus on the Celtic tie that even our own players run the risk of not 'having their eye on the ball' when it comes to La Florita, who will need no motivation to play 'party poopers'...; 2. Assuming we make it through, ON the pitch we will get hammered, and anyone who thinks otherwise is simply delusional... Rangers, Aberdeen, St. Johnstone and the likes (with professional set-ups & full-time players) couldn't live with this Celtic team this season, so I can't see how anyone would even imagine that part-time IL players (very good though they are for our standard of the game) could do so... if we manage to keep the aggregate deficit below 4 goals we'll have done brilliantly....times have moved on from the days when we made Manchester citeh sweat to get through on the away-goals rule... ; 3. The potential for all kinds of trouble off the park is blindingly obvious, and it's hard to see how our Club won't end up carrying the can for most of it, as the Celtic PR department will (quite rightly) point out that they host two games against Rangers every season without too much bother (thanks in no small part to Strathclyde Police... ), so if there's mither (especially around Windsor Park for the home leg) it's got to be down to a failure of Linfield & the PSNI to plan for & deal with the situation.... the LAST thing we need just as the Club are making a ton of progress (both ON & OFF the pitch) is a huge fine & possible sanctions from UEFA for crowd trouble/chanting and the MOUNTAIN of negative media (not just in NI, but on the mainland) which, again, will undoubtedly point to Linfield as the 'big bad bigots' who couldn't wait to attack all those 'innocent' Celtic fans.... 4. As someone else has already pointed out, the potential for OUR fans to get attacked if they wander into the wrong parts of the East End in Glasgow is probably far worse than for Celtic fans in Belfast, since there will be a sizeable number of the away support at Windsor (if UEFA doesn't ban away fans from both legs) actually from NI, who will know that walking down Donegall Avenue in a Celtic shirt is not best advised.... All told, and despite the potential for a windfall of cash, I think this is a draw we could have done without, both in pure football terms (Celtic are probably the strongest side in the competition at this early stage) and more importantly for the potential for an avalanche of negative press & trouble surrounding the games. I hope I'm proved wrong on all these points, but it's hard to be optimistic that I will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The OP Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 Seems like a case of getting your excuses in early there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 Will TV companies not want to cover the game and if so how will they square that with a weekday lunchtime kick-off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booker-T Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 28 minutes ago, Audaces Fortuna Juvat said: From another poster on ILF, but he pretty much sums up my views on this, "No harm, but this has the potential to be a disaster, and anyone with OUR Club's best interests at heart will see that straight away....and for a number of reasons: 1. There will, inevitably, be SO much focus on the Celtic tie that even our own players run the risk of not 'having their eye on the ball' when it comes to La Florita, who will need no motivation to play 'party poopers'...; 2. Assuming we make it through, ON the pitch we will get hammered, and anyone who thinks otherwise is simply delusional... Rangers, Aberdeen, St. Johnstone and the likes (with professional set-ups & full-time players) couldn't live with this Celtic team this season, so I can't see how anyone would even imagine that part-time IL players (very good though they are for our standard of the game) could do so... if we manage to keep the aggregate deficit below 4 goals we'll have done brilliantly....times have moved on from the days when we made Manchester citeh sweat to get through on the away-goals rule... ; 3. The potential for all kinds of trouble off the park is blindingly obvious, and it's hard to see how our Club won't end up carrying the can for most of it, as the Celtic PR department will (quite rightly) point out that they host two games against Rangers every season without too much bother (thanks in no small part to Strathclyde Police... ), so if there's mither (especially around Windsor Park for the home leg) it's got to be down to a failure of Linfield & the PSNI to plan for & deal with the situation.... the LAST thing we need just as the Club are making a ton of progress (both ON & OFF the pitch) is a huge fine & possible sanctions from UEFA for crowd trouble/chanting and the MOUNTAIN of negative media (not just in NI, but on the mainland) which, again, will undoubtedly point to Linfield as the 'big bad bigots' who couldn't wait to attack all those 'innocent' Celtic fans.... 4. As someone else has already pointed out, the potential for OUR fans to get attacked if they wander into the wrong parts of the East End in Glasgow is probably far worse than for Celtic fans in Belfast, since there will be a sizeable number of the away support at Windsor (if UEFA doesn't ban away fans from both legs) actually from NI, who will know that walking down Donegall Avenue in a Celtic shirt is not best advised.... All told, and despite the potential for a windfall of cash, I think this is a draw we could have done without, both in pure football terms (Celtic are probably the strongest side in the competition at this early stage) and more importantly for the potential for an avalanche of negative press & trouble surrounding the games. I hope I'm proved wrong on all these points, but it's hard to be optimistic that I will be. aye, right. but i do hope Celtic refuse to take tickets for the away tie, if it does indeed happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Wee Villa Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 Swapping the legs seems eminently more sensible than forcing people to book time off work to go to a lunchtime game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Master Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 11 minutes ago, Bully Wee Villa said: Swapping the legs seems eminently more sensible than forcing people to book time off work to go to a lunchtime game. Celtic are supposed to get the second leg at home as an additional advantage of being seeded. Not that it should matter, mind. Celtic should be more than capable of disposing of Linfield, even if both legs were played away from home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 21 minutes ago, Bully Wee Villa said: Swapping the legs seems eminently more sensible than forcing people to book time off work to go to a lunchtime game. You need to book time off work to travel to Belfast anyway. It is the Linfield fans who would suffer, but it will be worth it if there is no trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 34 minutes ago, Bobbyb1903 said: That just reads like anything that happens will be their fault..very old firm of the poster... What is a Hubs fan doing on a European thread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Wee Villa Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 I think it's quite common for the legs to be reversed, for example if two teams from the same region/city or even stadium are at home on the same day. It happened nine times in last season's Europa League, but didn't happen in the Champions League, admittedly. Presumably because fewer entrants means less chance of a clash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 3 minutes ago, Bobbyb1903 said: Deflection like an old firm fan too.. Not at all, you're just not worth responding to. Dismissed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The OP Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 16 minutes ago, Audaces Fortuna Juvat said: You need to book time off work to travel to Belfast anyway. It is the Linfield fans who would suffer, but it will be worth it if there is no trouble. Is it not a public holiday in NI? I can't imagine the PSNI are going to be too happy about Linfield supporters drinking all day and then lighting 40 foot bonfires tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 Some credit for Linfield from a very unusual source. https://thecelticblog.com/2017/06/blogs/champions-league-chaos-as-celtic-set-to-face-linfield-on-12-july-in-belfast/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 Just now, The OP said: Is it not a public holiday in NI? I can't imagine the PSNI are going to be too happy about Linfield supporters drinking all day and then lighting 40 foot bonfires tbh. Hopefully the game will be over and fans well away long before any bonfires are lit? I hope to be touching down back over here before that happens. Nice attempt at blame shifting too - are the Celtic Temperance Supporters Club the only ones travelling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 Public Holiday is 12th July incidentally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The OP Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 Just now, Audaces Fortuna Juvat said: Hopefully the game will be over and fans well away long before any bonfires are lit? I hope to be touching down back over here before that happens. Nice attempt at blame shifting too - are the Celtic Temperance Supporters Club the only ones travelling? It's not blame shifting - I can't imagine the away supporters will be lighting 40 foot bonfires with effigies of people in Celtic tops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 I almost want us to lose in San Marino, just to avoid this shitfest, but the money for progressing even one round is way too much to turn down for an IL club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Wee Villa Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 You need to book time off work to travel to Belfast anyway. It is the Linfield fans who would suffer, but it will be worth it if there is no trouble. I was referring to both sets of fans. Surely swapping the legs is less hassle for fans then making people get there for lunchtime on a working day? The arseholes shouldn't be able to spoil it for the number of fans who might be very excited about playing against a far bigger side than they're used to and may be unable to attend a lunchtime game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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