Celtic will play Shakhtyor Karaganda from Kazakhstan in the Champions League play-off round. Shakhtyor are 22 games into their league season but are 12 points off the pace, so are unlikely to add to their two Kazak titles.
They lost 3-2 away to Skënderbeu Korçë of Albania after a 3-0 home win to reach this stage but eliminated Bate Borisov in the earlier round.
Everyone at Celtic will be delighted to know that St Patrick’s Athletic, from Ireland, eliminated Shakhtyor from the 2011-12 Europa League, overturning a 2-1 deficit to win the home game 2-0.
There is 16 hours of flight time between Celtic and Shakhtyor, not counting refuelling, so the journey will be for the hardy, but as a ticket to Champions League riches, they don’t come much better.
One to keep an eye on, five years ago Shakhtyor were briefly disqualified from league football for match fixing……..
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Oh dear!
How much money do they have?
near
number 3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shakhtyor_Stadium_(Karagandy)_2013-05-22_18.11.25.jpg
HH
Could have scored a hat-trick there but didn’t want to be greedy.
Yak Shemash!
bring them on .
16 hours! Think I’ll give this one a miss……might go to away game tho….haha…
Bring it on……
Kikinthenakas
Match fixing? It’ll bring back memories of playing the oldco.
I’ve now read the SPFL’s Rule Book. And it should mean that The Rangers cannot play any trialists in league games. But will the rules be applied?
SPFL Rules Should Exclude All Ibrox Trialists
were on the one road ,sharing the one load
were on the road to…………….
Wiki says Artur Boruc is their keeper. Can that be true?!
From Boras to Borat, who’d thunk it!
Is first game away ??
HH
We can do this but with travel etc, it will be hard. How are Skakhter placed in their League and how good is their current form? Do any of our students of football know? Would love to find out.
http://www.kff.kz/
frfk.sk
FF
Karagandy of Kazakhstan….bloody hell that’s me officially worried. With the flight time, lack of proper investment in the squad and a possible plastic pitch…god knows there might even be a wind blowing against us (sorry that’s TFPL’s excuse) we are doomed. I off work today so pitch fork sharpened and tourch in hand l’m off to the car park see you there bhoys.
Celtic will need a Vital Spark!
Aussie Tims –
First leg kick-off should be about 11pm to midnight.
God bless the Green Brigade
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon
There’s rules in Scottish Football? Who knew!!
I miss
Philvis.
JohnnyClash
The Sons of Donegal bus are currently on the ferry to Larne taking the mickey out of a table of unfortunate zombies seated nearby.
Feck!
Short straw for Celtic.
Kazakhstan is in Central Asia. 16 hours to get there, including stopovers?!
The team will need to leave a week early!
Karaganda is as far east as Lahore in Pakistan!
Confident?!
HH!!
Where is all this crap about travel being an issue coming from? It’s 2013 not 1913.
And if it were an issue, don’t they have to travel the same distance?
Tallbhoy
8 hours each way!
HH
celticbhoy
Grass pitch. Put your pitchfork away.
http://t.co/cKHr5UXLhw
The draw goes down well with the top Bhoys…
79caps
I have seen that as well, but he plays for Southampton
Come on Celtic
HH
Gus1969
gordybhoy64
Sorry it took so long to get back to you
Met a couple of Scots lads but no one form
Clydebank the old home town
Hail Hail
Kazakhstan is 5 hours ahead of us. Current time there is 4:22pm. So kick off BST should be 12:45am.
It’s only as far east as New Delhi.
Tom McL
Aye, if a few extra hours on a plane is the price to pay for what should be a more straightforward task football wise, bring it on.
How much are 3 match packages for the group stage?!
HH
John o Neil
Sorry m8, Karagandy no mugs if the beat BATE H& A
More encouragingly – having led 3-0 after 1st leg v albanians they found themselves level on aggregate after 29 mins of the 2nd leg having conceded 2 penalties
Keep tie within reach and do them at CP
Mistake to think we are playing a shower of hicks
Tom McLaughlin
Correct. Same for both sides.
Its a great draw overall.
roy croppie
I love that clip…
Bhoys it’s a plane ride away, first class seats, professional players, it’s their job, they’re not walking to Santiago!!
Nothing too worrying about the draw.
From the last thread about ways for RIFC to make money, this one made me laugh…
– Half time sprint. 40 fans run length of the pitch. Fans can bet on the winner. Good cash for the club”
They do know halftime only lasts 15 minutes, right?