Celtic could face Linfield in Belfast this month – without their famous travelling support.
James Forrest admitted to The Daily Record that it would be “weird” having no Celtic fans in attendance for the away leg of their potential Champions League qualifier with Linfield.
There will be no Celtic supporters travelling to Belfast on July 14 if Linfield reach the next phase of the competition, after the Scottish giants refused allocation for the fixture.
The Hoops are a traditionally catholic club, whereas supporters from the Northern Irish outfit are mainly from a protestant background. The original dates of the fixture would have fallen on July 11 or 12, which would have coincided with a protestant march in the city.
Linfield secured a 1-0 aggregate lead over La Fiorita Montegiardino during the week ahead of the return leg in San Marino next week, and Forrest admits it would be odd not having any Celtic supporters in the stadium if the Northern Irish side finish the job next week.
He told The Daily Record: “Would it be weird not having our fans there? Yeah, especially as the fans are so important to us.
“You see it even in away games in the league. There are times when there are more Celtic fans in the ground than home fans.
“It would be something different but there is enough character in the squad to cope.”
Forrest is right. Celtic, who won a domestic treble last season without losing a match, should certainly have more than enough quality to dispose of Linfield and take a big step into the next round.
Failure to qualify for the Champions League proper would be a huge disappointment, after a respectable campaign last time around. They didn’t win a match, but Brendan Rodgers’s side did draw home and away against Manchester City, and draw 1-1 at Borussia Monchengladbach.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
