{"id":525275,"date":"2025-10-24T17:46:18","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T17:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/525275\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T17:46:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T17:46:18","slug":"doesnt-make-sense-why-celtic-semi-final-vs-rangers-is-causing-controversy-in-northern-irish-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/525275\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Doesn’t make sense’… Why Celtic semi-final vs Rangers is causing controversy in Northern Irish football"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Celtic have a significant run of fixtures ahead before the next international break.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Brendan Rodgers\u2019<\/a> side got back to winning ways with a crucial win against Sturm Graz in the Europa League<\/a> on Thursday, thanks to second-half goals by Liam Scales<\/a> and Benjamin Nygren.<\/a><\/p>\n

But the big games don\u2019t end there. The Hoops travel to Tynecastle for a top-of-the-table clash against Hearts.<\/a> If the Jambos win, they can go eight points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.<\/a><\/p>\n

Falkirk come to Celtic Park<\/a> next Wednesday, before the small matter of a Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Rangers<\/a> at Hampden.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s the Glasgow Derby fixture which is causing debate in Northern Ireland, for one understandable reason.<\/p>\n

Celtic vs Rangers semi-final causes controversy in Northern Ireland<\/p>\n

The North of Ireland has been kind to Celtic in the 21st century \u2013 Rodgers, Neil Lennon<\/a> and Martin O\u2019Neill<\/a> have all guided the Hoops to domestic trebles.<\/p>\n

The Celts also faced off against Cliftonville and Linfield in Champions League<\/a> qualifiers in the 2010s.<\/p>\n

\"CliftonvillePhoto by Charles McQuillan\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Of course, Celtic\u2019s<\/a> Irish links don\u2019t need explaining \u2013 but next weekend, they are throwing up a fixture headache in the NIFL Premiership. <\/p>\n

The semi-final of the Premier Sports Cup<\/a> will kick off at 2PM next week. The showpiece fixture in Northern Ireland, between Cliftonville and Linfield, kicks off at 3PM.<\/p>\n

Former Linfield general manager David Graham, speaking to the Belfast Telegraph,<\/a> expressed his frustration about the kick-off clash.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s really disappointing when there\u2019s so much effort to grow the League here.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe frustration is that you have a big Old Firm Cup Semi-Final between Rangers and Celtic at Hampden at 2.00pm and you\u2019re playing Cliftonville against Linfield at Solitude at 3.00pm. It doesn\u2019t make sense.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can talk about the Irish League fixture being in place first, but you also have to realise there are certain things that in many ways are beyond our control historically, traditionally and stereotypically, such as the vast majority of Linfield and Cliftonville fans will also be supporters of either side of the Old Firm.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has to be a flexibility, a malleability and recognition that there will be many Linfield fans who will prioritise going to watch Rangers either at Hampden or on the TV over going to Solitude. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe same can be said for Cliftonville and Celtic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celtic\u2019s Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Rangers<\/p>\n

On paper, the Hoops will enter the game at Hampden as overwhelming favourites \u2013 but they are yet to beat their city rivals in 2025.<\/p>\n

Russell Martin has been sacked by the Ibrox side<\/a> since the goalless draw in September \u2013 Danny Rohl has now taken charge.<\/p>\n

But judging from their Europa League<\/a> defeat to Brann on Thursday, they can very easily be got at. <\/p>\n

But with injuries to Kelechi Iheanacho,<\/a> Alistair Johnston<\/a> and Cameron-Carter-Vickers<\/a> all coming this week, it will still be a major test of Celtic\u2019s depth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Celtic have a significant run of fixtures ahead before the next international break. Brendan Rodgers\u2019 side got back…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":525276,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5011],"tags":[2353,34160,112821,1144,5074,170499,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-525275","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-northern-ireland","8":"tag-celtic","9":"tag-cliftonville","10":"tag-linfield","11":"tag-northern-ireland","12":"tag-rangers","13":"tag-scottish-league-cup","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115430397893725536","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=525275"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525275\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/525276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=525275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=525275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=525275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}