http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/40325550
Lesser greens v Irish Sevco (maybe)
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http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/40325550
Lesser greens v Irish Sevco (maybe)
Linfield v Celtc in Belfast on 11th or 12th July? Good grief :hilarious
Part of me wants Linfield to win their tie and set up a pummelling off Celtc but it would probably be best for everyone if they lose to the San Marino team.
The game will be moved. Celtic playing a loyalist team in Belfast could single handedly start a riot.
Celtic playing away in Belfast on 12th July would be quite simply hilarious. I'm sure the 12th July is a holiday over there aswell? :greengrin:
Backwards morons
The San Marino tie is a gimmy. This is going to get interesting:worms:
I would suggest that should this result in a riot then both teams get kicked out to be replaced by the winners of their respective 2nd tier leagues. Thus keeping the Champions league meaning intact.
There's no way Linfield should play Celtic in Belfast on 12th July; there will be more than enough craziness on the streets already. Public safety has to be the top priority.
I say let them get on with it. If they want to cause trouble over events that occurred hundreds of years ago let them. Has no impact on my or my family's life so couldn't care less what the bigoted idiots do to each other. With any luck it will make them see how embarrassing they all are. Probably not though.
I think there is probably a high risk of innocent people getting drawn in just by being there though. If hibs were there on a July 12th fixture I'm sure you'd still find pockets of bother (not to the same extent probably) that anyone could end up being in the wrong place for.
It should be pointed out at every opportunity how backwards and stupid sectarianism is as often and at as high profile a level as possible to dissuade people and make them realise how the majority from the outside looking in think about it all. Then policed heavily with a low tolerance for trouble after that for those that don't get the message.
It defies belief that in this day and age a team from one country playing a team from another country on a certain date should raise any questions. What kind of an intolerant world is that to live in.
Ach, there'll hardly be any Celtc fans there anyway (assuming linfield get through) . All the flights from Glasgow to Belfast + the Stranraer ferries were booked up by huns months ago!!
The Linfield chairman has apparently met with the Celtc (sic) executives over lunch after the draw was made, and they've agreed it won't be the 'glorious twelfth' (I think it's the 'Battle of the Boyne' Bank Holiday, according to my iPhone!)...it'll most likely be the 11th, and possibly with an early kick off...
No matter what way you cut this, playing it in Belfast even proximate to that date is a powderkeg waiting to go off. Factor in the current tensions surrounding the Conservative/DUP alliance threatening the Good Friday Agreement, and add in the uncertainty of a possible hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland following the Brexit negotiations and you have a proper perfect storm.
Mon' the San Marino minnows?
As an interesting aside, Hibs Ladies are in the draw for the Champions League qualifying groups this Friday. One of the group hosts they could draw is Linfield.
Surely they could switch the ties around so that Celtic have the home game on the 12th July and Linfield are at home the week before/after.
Linfield v Celtic is always going to attract a bit of controversy no matter when it's played but to have it on either the 11th or 12th July is just asking for trouble.
I can't believe the police would allow this either.
UEFA keeps certain countries apart in qualifying groups due to ethno political tensions, why couldn't they do the same thing here?
Linfield aren't going to do that from either a sporting or financial standpoint. A home tie first lets them have a wee bit of a go and try and get a result, whilst ensuring the Celtc fans are interested enough to come over. If it goes to Parkhead first and Celtc (probably) tank them 4 or 5-0, there isn't much incentive for them to travel to Windsor Park in any great number.
I dare say the arguments for separating the teams goes out the window when they're the same country. Besides, there's precedent in the past for teams who are at risk of being embroiled in sectarian violence playing each other in Europe - didn't Rangers end up playing Shelbourne on neutral ground?
Sorry, I'm not suggesting Shelbourne to be any kind of sectarian club - merely that a club from Dublin represented a target for sectarian violence (pretty sure that was the reason the game was moved to neutral ground?
Incidentally, it's not the first time UEFA have done this, and the last time it happened (funnily enough) featured a tie between Linfield and Shelbourne in Belfast: https://www.theguardian.com/football...wsstory.sport9
No danger the Irish polis let this game go ahead on the 11th July [emoji85] they have their hands full as it is during this week without every Celtic fan in Ireland descending on Belfast for a bevy and a sing song [emoji849][emoji91][emoji95]
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