Last week I was in Belfast for the first time in 20 years. The city centre was flooded with tourists, adding a cosmopolitan flavour. It’s clean and without litter or graffiti. I also didn’t see a single football top on the street in two days, which has to be exceptional for any European city. It was a proper tourist destination.
The whole city is small and just a few minutes’ walk from the centre are demarcation zones where normal rules of law and order, or even planning permission, do not apply. There are places where inappropriate bravado would be punished without appropriate limit.
Many people live in besieged areas. Bombay St is pretty and well-kept, but the residents, are not even protected by a roof-high peace line (below). Their gardens are now completely caged in, a necessary step to protect life and property.
One phrase you will have heard all your life about Belfast in July is “tensions run high”. Communities spend months preparing enormous bonfires, while ancient observances are carried out.
It is not possible for Celtic to play against Linfield under normal conditions without jeopardising the welfare of our travelling support. Too many people would be vulnerable in too many places. We should decline tickets for the away game and politely inform Linfield they should do likewise – don’t think for a second it would be only Linfield fans who would pitch up at Celtic Park for the return game. Their presence would be a beacon for all that we don’t want to see or listen to for 90 minutes.
Belfast has so much to teach Glasgow, from tourism, to reconciliation, but conflict remains part of its infrastructure. This is a tie to get out of the way without cost to life or limb.
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Totally agree – decline the ticket allocation. The tie has bad news written all over it.
The Green Man
Thats twice you have said that now
careful Now
Down with that sort of thing
DAVIDO
How exactly would that solve the problematic tie?
bournesouprecipe
:)
Too hot for ties…
TGM, I missed that could you just repeat it ;-) I think I may be going deaf?
TRADITIONALIST88 on 19TH JUNE 2017 3:22 PM
Not totally comfortable with giving in to bigots and not being there to support the team, which can give us an advantage, but on the other hand in relation to the above sentence this is very true – even in Glasgow, Celtic fans often wander into areas of the city best avoided, unaware of the hatred towards them and danger they are in.
*aye me a number of years ago, going up tae Parkheid by train I got off at Belgrove, which I hadn’t done for about 20 year or so, and a lot of the landmarks were missing, so was the crowd I used tae follow.
So I wandered down this side street looking for a pub tae phone a taxi, finally found one. “Pint of heavy please and can you call me a taxi”, “I sure son where are you going”,” Parkheid for a ticket for the game in the hope of seeing that we bassa getting his arse felt”. “There’s yer pint, it’s your last and you can find yer ain taxi”.
Wee punter in a trench coat beside me said ‘in the lavvy son”, took a chance but went, he opens his coat and he’s got a green sweater on with the Celtic logo, “do you know where you are”, naw”, “brigton cross, my missus comes fae here and is visiting her maw, forget the pint and walk doon tae the taxi rank, jump in and don’t say where you’re going until you’re in yer seat”. “Oh and don’t come back this way FFS”.
Thanks mate and off I went, well ran that is, the only other time I left a pint on the bar was when I wandered intae a two for one joint in TO which was covered in ivy and nae women in it.
Wait…is the Green Man going????
Should definitely decline the ticket allocation…
;)
Aussies v Germany on ITV4, Clive Tyldesley commentating,Any spread betting on the first mention of England or 66?
Pogmathon
I be there dressed as Pope Francis.
If they want to kill me, they can at least wait till the game is done:)
HH
davidopolous
The green man is going about 4 times
I think the best point has been made by BELFASTBHOY0 on 19TH JUNE 2017 3:29 PM.
The ferries and planes will be well booked up probably 12 months in advance of these morons marching. The Celtic Board should take this into account and approach UEFA with this and other safety concerns and ask for the tie to switched around. However, it may need sashmeisters to agree to this.
Totally agree that our away fans should not be put in obvious danger, as well as that our wonderful media will be delighted at the prospect of possible problems with our support. Don’t give them the chance Celtic. Wonder what Brendan’s take on it will be if they win their match?
Sevco have already sold out their ticket allocation for Linfield v Celtic…………………………..
WITS
LOL
HH
If agreement can be reached between the clubs, and I doubt this will happen, the this might be a way forward. The problem is that there are enough contacts between Glasgow and Belfast to ensure a large number of Celtic fans will go. In those circumstances the club should take responsibility and manage the situation. Tickets should only be sold to those prepared to travel with the club and go in and out on matchday with transport to the game. Tickets handed out on the plane. The club, unless it is prepared to await trouble at the game followed by another UEFA fine, needs to step up for this one. The club should also avoid profiteering for this match. Whatever the club does there will, without doubt, be Celtic supporters at this match. To think otherwise is naïve.
TGM,
You have completely got the wrong end of the stick.
I was only saying that you had previously covered everything I had posted.
HH to you.
I dont get it.
The PLC dont care any other time.
Whats the big deal now?
All of a sudden they are concerned?
Dont think so.
HH
Greenpinata
Id say thats your fault then.
Surely you should be precise in your discourse:)
You can hardly blame me for that:)
HH
UEFA should have made sure this tie wasn’t an option, they fix everything else ffs
I suppose that it would be fitting that this year with the Champion League final is due to be played in a country has a live conflict going on in it, that the competition should kick off with a “powder keg” match…
Sadly, making money out of this tie will matter to some.
It will be known as:
“The sash bash clash cash”
Controversy. Celtic talk. Conspiracys.
Bring it on.
How come it took Jonny Hayes a full 30 seconds?
Some right auld killjoys on today:)
Dont spoil the fun for the rest of us:)
HH
Tontine Tim on 19th June 2017 4:02 pm
And I bet you never did that again :)
HH
Travelling by ferry out 11/07 back 13/07
P&O sold out Cairnryan to Belfast and Liverpool to Belfast.
Stena sold out Cairnryan to Belfast.
Fares available from about £310 to £360
P&O Cairnryan to Larne
Stena Cairnryan to Belfast
Liverpool to Belfast
I also suspect that some of the extreme sevco @rseholes may travel over now because of our draw purely looking for bother.
P67, The Green Man has already snapped up our allocation…:))
BADA BING
Ive been on the phone already:)
HH
Pog- the vermin will do what they done with Ajax and Hamburg bams at CP, never heard of any arrests from those games
Sorry other than sold out maybe not available
It’s the Chelsea fans we should be worried about.
Don’t see what the problem is with the fixture.
Anyone who wishes to attend could be equipped with boxing gloves with the tic’ supporters having horseshoes inserted in their gloves prior to admission. Simple!
just got an invite to the FF gawf tournament at ROYAL Musselburgh …. dont I feel special? anyone else going?
:)
I see the Huns have signed yet another South American forward, where are they getting the money from I wonder?
Belfast on the 12th of July? Did it once to visit a customer in Cookstown around that time, scary even in a locked car in daylight, blue, white and red curbstones, drunks in the street screaming at your car windows with their delightful Orange ditties, just smiled and did a thumbs up. I think it might have been EuroTech from memory.
It was closed down a year or so later, by letter to the employees. They tried to send some young accountant types with redundancy letters and every time a gun would appear on the meeting room table and the young accountant was asked “You’re not here to shut us down are you?”
I think after two or them shit themselves the deed was done by letter.
I would give it a major body swerve personally.
Thoughts and prayers with relatives of AngelGabriel and Gene
_____________________________________________________________________________________
May I ask that a prayer be offered for my Aunt Mary who passed peacefully yesterday evening at the age of 83, the last remaining sibling of my Mother, thank you.
HH
Celtic need to take the lead here but I suspect they can’t make comment as it would be disrespectful to La Fiorita who will hopefully pump those huns, even though it is unlikely.
ONEMALLOY, condolences to you and your family.
Mary RIP.
ONEMALLOY
Condolences
RIP Mary