CELTS’ WINDSOR SHUT-OUT SADDENS BOSS RODGERS
BRENDAN RODGERS has expressed sadness that Celtic supporters have to miss the first leg of their Champions League second round qualifier against Linfield today due to safety issues. The original dates set aside by UEFA would have seen the Parkhead club travel to Belfast to play the Northern Ireland champions at the height of the Orange Order marching season on July 11/12. That sparked fears of trouble among the Glasgow club’s supporters, with its huge Catholic base, and Linfield’s Loyalist fans. Following talks with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the encounter was moved back to July 14, with a 5pm kick-off and Celtic refused their ticket allocation. Speaking at Celtic’s hotel in Belfast, Hoops’ manager Rodgers, who hails from County Antrim, said: ‘The disappointment is that the supporters aren’t there because wherever Celtic travel worldwide they are renowned for having great support. ‘Celtic is a club that lots of teams want to have as their testimonial game. Why? Because supporters travel in great numbers and how they behave when they go to those grounds. ‘The only sadness for me, wherever I have been and travelled in this last year, the game have been great but the supporters have been brilliant. ‘It is unfortunate they are not going to be there which is a shame for Linfield and Northern Ireland. Football is loved in this country and to have the two sets of supporters there would have been fantastic. ‘The football club haven’t been able to have assurances for their safety which is sad for me, coming back to Northern Ireland and a new Northern Ireland and not be able for some way ensure that the supporters’ safety is guarded then that is a problem for me. ‘Celtic as a football club protects its supporters and it was deemed for whatever reason that it would maybe be unsafe to travel or be there then of course there has been steps put in place. ‘For us it’s about the football, focus on that and go back to Glasgow next week where it will be packed with 60,000.’