The first home competitive game of the season takes place tonight at Celtic Park, when Linfield attempt to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg of the second round qualifier.

Should they fail to raise their game enough, Celtic will progress to the next round where they face either Dundalk or Rosenborg. Rosenborg have a slight advantage for the game in Trondheim having gained a 1-1 draw in Ireland.

But there’s still Linfield to deal with, and hopes are high amongst the visitors that they can do themselves proud.

No one else thinks they can, but they are not going to lie down.

Their fans are being given a tour of Ibrox before the game, at just £10 a head, but its not clear whether or not the game will be shown on screens at the ground. With their own team not able to adjust to the demands of European football so early in its existence, its nice to see the Ibrox club getting behind Celtic by keeping Linfield fans off the streets during the day, thus keeping trouble to a minimum.

After the trouble at the first leg, which had been moved to the Friday to avoid trouble, there is hope that there will be no repeat tonight.

Three coach loads of Linfield fans are leaving Belfast, and will be taken straight to the ground and straight home. They will be supplemented by a few locals eager to see Champions League football , and who have graciously paid into the Celtic pot to make the team even stronger.

There is one concern I have however..

Given the problems at the last game, is this really a good idea ?

Surely it would be better to bus them straight out after, from the ground to the ferry ?

During the game, we hear the club have asked the police to be ready for any further instances of missiles being thrown at players.

Linfield boss David Healy engaged in a spot of revisionism..

“The disappointing thing with everything that happened on Friday is that the players didn’t get enough praise for their work ethic and the amount of effort they put into the game. It is frustrating.

“It is hugely disappointing as the manager of the club that [because] of a few idiots, the players didn’t come out with a lot more praise. A lot of people wanted to talk about what happened off the pitch.

“It is hugely important tomorrow night that the 1,000 supporters or whatever who are going to be here behave themselves in an impeccable manner, enjoy the scenery, enjoy the game, enjoy the occasion, and we come away talking about hopefully another positive Linfield performance.”

He seems completely oblivious of the fact the game had to be moved due to safety fears. How can any of what happened be unexpected, or even be played down as the actions of a few idiots ? 

Leigh Griffiths, the target of much of the abuse, and a bottle, has apparently been ticked off by his manager..

“It’s a lesson learned for him,”

It could mean he misses a Champions League qualification game which is a huge game for the club and a huge game for Leigh, considering he wants to be available all the time.

For tying a scarf round a post, that’s ultimately what it is.

Then, the way players are, they will be knocking on your door wondering why they are not playing. You’re not available and the consequence could be you lose your place in the team and it’s not a team that you want to be out of too often, for any other reason than being injured.

“I don’t think Leigh should have got the yellow card for that incident. What happened after that is you need to use your common sense.

“He’s got that devilment, which is great, which is what you want but it has always got to be controlled. You have to be in control, you have to make yourself available, living your life right and doing all the things it takes to be a top footballer, otherwise you get left behind.”

Griffiths faces a charge of provocation after he tied a scarf around the goalpost at windsor Park, prompting at least one home fan to invade the pitch, and it wasn’t even his scarf.

Rodgers, however, despite the headlines, went on to say he had no issues with Griffiths..

“I really like Leigh. There have been so many instances and last season I kept hearing that he was on his way out – Christ, everyone makes mistakes and will have their wee issues.

If it gets to the point where it is disruptive to what I am doing and ultimately to what the team’s ambition is, then I would cut straight away, but it is never that.

He is a really good boy. He has issues and challenges, professionally and personally, but I have found him a really good man who wants to play football and score goals.

“He is not one that I would ever want to lose here. I cannot see him ever doing anything that would make me push him out. I support him off the field and on the field I help him and coach him along with the staff to make him better.”

I’ll be glad when this tie is over, as it still has the potential to cause bother, not on the pitch, but off it.

The predictascore for the game sees four readers in with a shout of the £100 prize, which goes to a charity of your choice;

There does seem to be a plethora of midfielders around right now, but the cunning Irishman has a plan…to use all of them !

Leigh Griffiths is the only doubt for tonights game, and just to clarify, its a calf strain.

Calf. Not scarf.

Whilst some would expect Linfield to be beaten comprehensively, Id be surprised if Celtic won by more than 3-0, so if you go to the bookies, make sure you bet on more than 3-0.

Gossip ? About transfers ?

Dead easy, just think of a player and link him to Southampton.

On the other side of the city though, there are a few titbits to consider. so we hear, from a slurred voice.

Steven Naismith was going to go to Ibrox, but their lack of progress because of Progres put a stop to that. Deal was done, apparently, with Naisy agreeing to a wage of just £20,000 a week.

There are conflicting reports , though, as some say that Naisy pulled the plug, and others blame Pedro, after Naismith failed to prove he filled the new all Catholic criteria at the club, and with Graeme Dorrans texting him and asking him to be round the back of Auchenhowie with a rope ladder and a change of clothes, one wonders of all is well at the camp.

Bruno Alves has arrived, ready to help with the brave new world over there, but it was too cold for him to make a public appearance. Apparently, despite the heat up there, he had a moan about how cold it was.

We hear his larger than average salary will be supplemented by the marketing of his own training gear..

The club were beaten on a friendly by Scotlands other Brexit campaigners St Johnstone, and if you can find the goal on google, by Calum Hendry, you will see why “rangers ” will probably need a new manager and about a dozen new players by the time the kids go back to school.

Seriously, these guys are bloody awful, and one begins to wonder if the remit for Pedro was to buy in a load of duds, pay them a fortune and send us into administration and then liquidation.

And it seems like just yesterday they were exalting a draw against Partick that got them a place in Europe…

Mind you, they may have cause for celebration yet..

Got your new away top yet ?

don’t put it in the washing machine. Get a baby wipe or something and gently stroke away the dirt.

and Lisbon has got an N in it. ( I know, I know )

Its merely the usual substandard tat we’ve come to expect from the Boston based company over the period they have been associated with the club.

How many times do we have to point out that they’re not very good at making football tops ?

Thank the lord that I don’t sit in one of the north stand seats with their name desecrating the ground. It would probably break and send me plunging towards the foodbars below.

Keep an eye out for the Scottish Football supporters Association over the next few days, it seems to me that they should be the ones to unite all Scottish fans in the quest for good governance.

ScottishFSA.org

Get behind them and join up at that link.

When I say good governance I mean clearing out the SFA , the SPFL and even so far as removing former employees-they’re private companies , remember, from their posts at UEFA.

Which reminds me…who was the match delegate in the first game at Linfield ? And why has his name been, er, removed ?

Surely Celtic will know ? After all, he’s the one pressing charges …

14 July 2017, 18:00 CET, Windsor Park, Belfast (NIR)
Linfield FC (NIR) – Celtic FC (SCO)
Referee: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández (ESP)
Assistant Referees: Teodoro Sobrino Magán (ESP), José Enrique Naranjo Pérez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea (ESP)
UEFA Referee Observer: Konrad Plautz (AUT)
UEFA Delegate:

Spanish football federation president held in corruption probe 

Angel Maria Villar and son among those arrested in early morning police raids 

The head of Spain’s football federation was arrested on Tuesday in an investigation into suspected corruption by top officials in one of the world’s most successful footballing nations. Angel María Villar, his son, Gorka Villar, and several Spanish federation executives were detained by Spanish police in a series of early morning raids on suspicion of embezzlement, fraud and collusion, police said in a statement. Mr Villar, 67, a former player for the Spanish national team, has been president of the federation for almost 30 years and is also a vice-president of Fifa and Uefa. Police said the investigation, headed by Santiago Pedraz, a High Court investigating magistrate, originated in allegations made last year by Spain’s state sports council and had been running for several months. Another member of the national federation and an official of the Tenerife football association were also detained on suspicion of misappropriating funds and channelling them to a company they jointly manage, police said. 

We did intercept a phone call from Spain to Scotland, and have no idea if its linked, but someone in Spain was looking for a loan of a shredder…

Haw, you two..

While we wait, maybe just ignore these companies, the ones propping up the refreshingly innovative way that these two run the game that we pay for.

Back to Monday now, for the caption picture..