Bluedell 5,471 Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 I would like to wish Linfield well in their match this evening . Just a 1-0 win with the goal in the 89th minute. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,613 Posted June 29, 2017 Author Share Posted June 29, 2017 Celtic are better rejecting Linfield tickets than to risk Parkhead being shut for big Champions League nights - Michael Gannon Michael argues that Celtic need to protect their brand which has taken a fair old kicking from UEFA in recent years. It seems a bit strange to tell fans they can’t hop across the water to Belfast when less than 12 months ago there wasn’t a peep about going to a place just 50 miles from the Gaza Strip. But that probably sums up the bonkers situation surrounding a match that isn’t even a thing yet. Celtic ’s decision after police advice to knock back a ticket allowance for Linfield, should the Northern Irish club get past La Fiorita, hasn’t gone down too well with the supporters. It’s understandable. Football fans want to go and support their team, no matter where they go. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a boozer in Baku or an obscure alehouse in Astana, you’ll see scores of troops wearing the Hoops. Some of these Euro outposts can be quite scary as well. Anyone who’s done a jaunt abroad knows you never get into a bust-up with a Balkan bouncer or try to get into aggro with some Albanian hardcase. They are usually pretty clued-up and self-policing when it comes to being in and around the cities. Folk from Glasgow grow up with a sixth sense when it comes to sniffing danger. They can automatically gauge when the fun shifts and it’s time to get off your mark. There might be the odd eijit but by and large Celtic – and Scottish football fans in general – go in peace and there’s no doubt 99 per cent would be the same in Northern Ireland. Yet Belfast is going to be a no-go zone and some punters, like the Green Brigade, are up in arms. You can see where they’re coming from. But the statement the fans group stuck out the other day calling for their club to have a rethink over the ticket issue managed to make the point as well as miss the point at the same time. They accused Celtic of being more concerned about “the brand’ and that it’s more fears about the Celtic support rather than fears for their safety they have in mind. Got it in one. Celtic need to protect the brand because it has taken a fair old kicking from UEFA in recent years. The Parkhead club have had their backsides slapped 10 times in six years by the bigwigs – with two separate fines last season alone. You could argue all day whether UEFA are the ones in the wrong but it doesn’t matter. They are in charge and at some point the rap sheet is going to go over a line and Celtic are going to get hit with something worse than a 10 grand bill. That’s why it was an easy decision for them to knock back briefs from Linfield. As soon as the cops hummed and hawed about any guarantees over fan safety, the choice became straightforward. It’s too big a risk to put punters in harm’s way – and it’s an even bigger concern they might land themselves in bother if some fancy making a political point during the most volatile week on the calendar in that neck of the woods. No one needs a history lesson here. Linfield are like any other club and the majority are just normal folk who like to watch their team. It’s Belfast, not Baghdad, and the place is unrecognisable from 30 years ago. But there is still that sinister element, the people who refuse to come out of the dark ages, who will have spent the week marching up and down the streets. A sash bash would be like a red rag to a bull to some in the Celtic support. We’re not even talking violence here. It would just take the odd big banner and UEFA will bring down the hammer. If a few daft Linfield punters want to sing or stick up signs about some Dutch dude who died more than 300 years ago then that’s their problem. Celtic don’t need any of their own. The Green Brigade and Celtic Trust have accused their club of not batting for their fans but it has to be a two-way street. Peter Lawwell has pleaded with them to cut out the flares and some of the carry-on. But he’s had it thrown back in his face. He gave them the standing section they craved and it’s made Parkhead the envy of clubs all over the UK. There has to be some give and take. Hoops fans want their club to trust them but that trust has to be earned. The consequences are too severe to take a chance with this game. Fans might be p***** off but they would be even more so if UEFA shut part of Parkhead if the likes of Real Madrid came to town or denied Hoops punters the chance to go to Bayern Munich. Sometimes you need to pick your battles but there are no winners when the fans and the club get into a fight. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott7 5,662 Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 Uneducated drivel. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,613 Posted June 29, 2017 Author Share Posted June 29, 2017 Uneducated drivel. We expect nothing less from the Record! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,551 Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 (edited) We’re not even talking violence here. It would just take the odd big banner and UEFA will bring down the hammer. A hammer you say ... for some reason, the more often the Yahoos do this, the smaller the hammer becomes ... Celtic fined after fans display 'illicit banner' against Hapoel Be'er Sheva Celtic fined after fans display 'illicit banner' against Hapoel Be'er Sheva By PA Sport 29/09/2016 at 15:01Updated 29/09/2016 at 15:02 Celtic have been fined 10,000 euros (£8,616) by UEFA after fans displayed an "illicit banner" during their recent Champions League qualifier against Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Fans flew Palestine flags before and during the match against Israeli opposition at Parkhead on August 17, drawing a charge from European football's governing body. http://www.eurosport.com/football/champions-league/2016-2017/celtic-fined-after-fans-display-illicit-banner-against-hapoel-be-er-sheva_sto5880676/story.shtml Compare and contrast ... St Johnstone to appeal against Uefa fine for Palestinian flag St Johnstone say they will appeal against Uefa's decision to fine the Perth club 18,000 euros (£14,400) after a supporter waved a Palestinian flag. The flag appeared during Saints' Europa League qualifying match against Spartak Trnava on 31 July. http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/29130234 St. Johnstone had to pay. First offense, ONE flag. The Yahoos paid only half that much, despite this list of previous charges ... December 2011: Celtic are fined £12,700 by UEFA after fans make pro-IRA chants during a Europa League clash with Rennes in Glasgow. March 2012: The Parkhead outfit are again punished with a £21,000 penalty after supporters set off fireworks and unveil an insulting banner aimed at UEFA during their Europa League fixture with Udinese at the Stadio Friuli in Italy. September 2012: The use of fireworks at Celtic Park during a Champions League qualifier with Cliftonville costs the Scottish title winners another £4,200 as they are again found guilty of "improper supporter conduct". December 2013: A fourth fine of around £42,000 is issued to the club after the Green Brigade unveils "illicit" banners depicting IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands and Scottish historical figure William Wallace before Champions League group match with AC Milan. September 2014: UEFA again cracks down on the Hoops, this time issuing a £15,900 fine after fans display a Palestinian flag during a Champions League qualifier against KR Reykjavik. February 2015: Clashes between fans and Croatian police, as well as the use of fireworks during a Europa League group stage match against Dinamo Zagreb, sees Celtic receive a £7,300 bill from disciplinary bosses. March 2015: Parkhead chiefs are given another £3,600 fine just a month later, this time after flares were set off by travelling supporters during a Europa League round of 32 clash with Inter Milan in the San Siro. February 2016: The use of pyrotechnics again lands Celtic in trouble as they receive a £10,000 fine following a Europa League tie with Fenerbahce in Istanbul – although a portion of this is related to the "improper conduct" of the team. August 2016: UEFA opens its latest disciplinary proceedings against the Scottish champions after hundreds of supporters display Palestine flags during their Champions League qualifier against Israeli side Hapoel Be'er Sheva. A hearing on September 22 will decide whether they are guilty of "illicit banner" charges. http://sport.bt.com/football/champions-league/news/celtics-uefa-charges-timeline-S11364081528061 Edited June 29, 2017 by der Berliner 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANGERRAB 3,452 Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 If I were Linfield I'd be grateful the yahoos support weren't coming. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uilleam 5,769 Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 I wish that they would go, and not come back. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,551 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Linfield will be playing the Yahoos, as they drew with their opponents tonight. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whosthedado 1,614 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Good luck to Linfield. I need something to cheer me up after tonight 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
compo 6,585 Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 Well done linfield 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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