Preseason Games

[Jute]

First team games for preseason:

Saturday 27th June v Cove Rangers FC, Balmoral Stadium, KO 2pm

Saturday 4th  July v FC Twente FC, Sportcomplex GFC, KO 2.00pm (local time)

Potentially another game on the 11th plus  couple of close door games. 

[Jormungandr]

Fox ache AFC, in NL on my kid's birthday. We have to communicate better...

[blinlemon]

9 hours ago, Jormungandr said:

Fox ache AFC, in NL on my kid's birthday. We have to communicate better...

She’s got form, min. “No huns” 

Take her to her first Dons game, min - a rite of passage, and once she’s seen the loons, ony temptation to support de Graafshap, or those Heerenveen wankers will disappear. 

[Jormungandr]

I do mind that Groningen fan (from well before we played them) and his hatred for Heerenveen.

[blinlemon]

On 13/06/2026 at 09:06, Jormungandr said:

I do mind that Groningen fan (from well before we played them) and his hatred for Heerenveen.

Top boy, Dennis. 

A fine line in petty fitba hatred, all the more impressive given that he’s a professor at Queens University in Belfast. His measured poison-tipped rants at their Jute-esque false hübris and ‘family club’ p**very  used to be a highlight of Saturday morning caffeine-fests in a wee cafe in Adelphi. 

[Jute]

Had heard rumour of this but thought no way would someone be that dumb to send us to Belfast at the start of marching season but….

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/irish-league/linfield-to-host-top-scottish-club-at-windsor-park-in-pre-season-friendly/a/157978842.html

[BigAl]

55 minutes ago, Jute said:

Had heard rumour of this but thought no way would someone be that dumb to send us to Belfast at the start of marching season but….

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/irish-league/linfield-to-host-top-scottish-club-at-windsor-park-in-pre-season-friendly/a/157978842.html

That's clearly fucking mental 

[swaddon]

There's nothing on the official site about it.

Why would we go over to Northern Ireland just days before our first league cup game on the 14th?

[manc_don]

Madness, why would we do this?

[Panda]

Not sure how they would fit this game in unless it's a development team we're sending over.

Linfield are playing in Europe on the Thursday night. And we can't play the Sunday because we play Brora on the Tuesday.

 

[Panda]

With this rumoured game, it brought me back to 2017 when Linfield released a statement saying they had never played Aberdeen in their history, after Joe Miller told a story about being targeted with lasers.

https://www.extratime.com/articles/19246/linfield-issue-extraordinary-statement-in-response-to-former-celtic-player/

If they progress to the second round, Linfield would be scheduled to face Celtic in the first leg in Belfast on July 12th, the day of the contentious annual Orange Parade.

The club took particular issue with an interview in Glasgow's Daily Record by former Celtic player Joe Miller, who recalled playing in an apparent friendly at Windsor Park while at Aberdeen.

In it, Miller recalled his teammates being followed by laser pointers, as if to imitate sniper finders, and being accosted outside a local pub while transporting footballs by hand.

“What troubles us most of all,” reads the statement, “is that Linfield FC has no record of having played Aberdeen at Windsor Park or elsewhere in the entire decade Mr Miller refers to, whether in a friendly fixture, training game or otherwise.

“In fact, it appears that Linfield have never played against Aberdeen at all throughout our entire history.”

The statement finished by asserting the club have instructed their solicitors to engage in formal communication with Miller and the Daily Record.

Linfield's statement in full:

 

Since last Monday’s Champions League draw, there has been considerable press hyperbole surrounding a possible Second Round tie between Linfield and Celtic. Aside from making some contingency arrangements for this possible game, the Club’s stated position is that our utmost concentration must be on our First Round tie against La Fiorita of San Marino. To do anything other than this would be to disrespect our opponents whom we look forward to welcoming to Windsor Park on Wednesday evening. The Club is providing every assistance to David Healy, his staff and the first team squad in the preparation for these vitally important games.

 

Linfield feel that we must, however, issue a public response to some of the more hysterical articles that have appeared in the press over the last few days. Even in this era of “fake news” and slashed media budgets, one would have not thought it beyond the capabilities of most reporters to perform some basic fact-checking before sending an article to the presses.

 

A particularly regrettable piece appeared in the Scottish Daily Record on Saturday 24th June, wherein the former Celtic footballer Joe Miller recalled a friendly match he had apparently taken part in against Linfield at Windsor Park whilst he was on the books of Aberdeen. The interview with Mr Miller, as told to the Daily Record reporter Gordon Parks, included such colourful details as the winger apparently being repeatedly targeted with laser rangefinders and that he and his colleagues, Derek Whyte, Tommy Craig and Roy Aitken were carrying match balls down a street after this game when they passed a public house where they were confronted by angry locals.

 

The latter detail may cause some bemusement to Linfield supporters, given that even in those pre-redevelopment days, Windsor Park was wholly enclosed from any surrounding streets, and there remains a distinct lack of local hostelries in the area adjacent to the ground. We have played numerous friendly games at Windsor Park over the years against such clubs from Manchester United to Flamengo of Brazil, but have yet to ask opposing players to walk around South Belfast whilst carrying various match accoutrements.

 

What troubles us most of all, however, is that Linfield FC has no record of having played Aberdeen at Windsor Park or elsewhere in the entire decade Mr Miller refers to, whether in a friendly fixture, training game or otherwise. In fact, it appears that Linfield have never played against Aberdeen at all throughout our entire history.

 

A particularly concerning allegation made by Mr Miller, printed in the Daily Record and broadcast on social media to tens of thousands of views, was that “there were red dots on us for the whole 90 minutes” of this mysterious game. This fanciful account seems to suppose that the player and his colleagues were being targeted by multiple firearms, and was provided in the context of suggesting that it would be unsafe for Celtic supporters to visit our stadium, should that tie come to pass in due course. Given that Windsor Park was, and is, an almost entirely enclosed stadium, it would have been unlikely that this could have come from outside the ground, had this fixture actually taken place. Given also that neither the then-RUC nor the British Army carried lasers fitted to their weapons as standard, and that in 1995 it would be some years before laser pointers became easily available and affordable to members of the public, one wonders where, exactly, these red dots may have appeared from in this match that didn’t actually happen.

 

In light of everything stated above we can only suggest that this account is demonstrably untrue.

 

The Club has now instructed Solicitors to write to Mr Miller and the Daily Record accordingly.

 

This is just one of the press stories that have appeared in the last week that is easier to rebut. Our Solicitors have also been put on retainer to investigate any further attacks on the good character of this Club and its supporters. In the meantime, we would only ask that the media, like Linfield FC, concentrates on fixtures that have actually been arranged, and that any reporting of past events is conducted to proper journalistic standards.

 

A statement regarding the possible match against Celtic and the ticketing arrangements for that game will be released in due course, should we win the upcoming tie against La Fiorita. 

[tlg1903]

17 hours ago, manc_don said:

Madness, why would we do this?

Bants? 

[tlg1903]

15 hours ago, Panda said:

Not sure how they would fit this game in unless it's a development team we're sending over.

Linfield are playing in Europe on the Thursday night. And we can't play the Sunday because we play Brora on the Tuesday.

 

"Linfield are staging the fixture as part of a wider family open day, with Aberdeen supporters also having access to a dedicated FanZone within the stadium with food, drinks and entertainment on offer." 

 

[Jute]

 

[BigAl]

1 hour ago, Jute said:

 

Anyone contemplating this 

easyJet return from Glasgow 

[Mason89]

1 hour ago, BigAl said:

Anyone contemplating this 

Honestly can’t think of a less appealing fixture 

[tlg1903]

6 minutes ago, Mason89 said:

Honestly can’t think of a less appealing fixture 

It's really hard to argue with this 2bh 

[GASC1980]

I booked flights last week when I heard about it. Belfast is a cracking city and a great night out. Just not Saturday 11th of July. Suspect Robinson has been the driver behind this but who in their right mind has agreed this. Utter madness and I'm even crazier going. I wonder what "entertainment" they will have laid on for us??? :):):)

[BigAl]

29 minutes ago, GASC1980 said:

I booked flights last week when I heard about it. Belfast is a cracking city and a great night out. Just not Saturday 11th of July. Suspect Robinson has been the driver behind this but who in their right mind has agreed this. Utter madness and I'm even crazier going. I wonder what "entertainment" they will have laid on for us??? :):):)

Flute band and a traditional march 

[GASC1980]

Aye nae doubt. Be a day for keeping your wits about you.  

[Brochred]

7 hours ago, tlg1903 said:

"Linfield are staging the fixture as part of a wider family open day, with Aberdeen supporters also having access to a dedicated FanZone within the stadium with food, drinks and entertainment on offer." 

 

Maybe get a drink out of a loving cup...

[Jute]

6 hours ago, BigAl said:

Anyone contemplating this 

easyJet return from Glasgow 

I did look at flights in and out in same day just out of interest but never seriously considered it. Fuck being anywhere in Northern Ireland at this time of year. Just seems to be a really odd decision by the club.