Finn Harps v Glasgow Celtic
Northwest Timberframe Homes Challenge Match Finn Park, Monday 6th August 2007 kick-off 7.30pm by Joe Doherty
Finn Harps will put their domestic season on hold on Monday when they host Scottish giants Celtic in a glamour friendly at Finn Park (kick-off 7.30pm). It will the Glasgow side's sixth visit to the Donegal venue since first visiting in 1976. The Challenge match has been sponsored by Northwest Timberframe Homes Ltd, Donegal Road, Ballybofey while the Match Ball Sponsor for the match is Daly's Service Station in Lifford. The club would like to thank these businesses for making this match possible.
Harps are more than half-way through their domestic season and are fast approaching the last quarter of the League season while they also host Derry City in the third round of the FAI Cup in two weeks time. For Celtic, they are just about to kick-off their Scottish Premier League season on Sunday when they host Kilmarnock at Celtic Park.
Harps Manager Paul Hegarty can look forward to the game without the pressures that a league games brings with it. "The interest in this game has been massive," said Hegarty, "and it will be a special occasion for everyone who has been lucky enough to get their hands on a ticket and hopefully it will be an enjoyable night.
"It is great to see Celtic coming to Finn Park for a match", continued Hegarty. "Donegal is full of Celtic supporters and this will be a great occasion, great for our own club and great for the people of Donegal."
Celtic will be managed by former Sligo Rovers boss Willie McStay for the trip to Donegal. Although the Celtic team is unlikely to feature any of the eleven players who will get the Scottish Champions' SPL season underway the previous day, McStay is quick to point out that it will be far from a totally reserve side that will play at Finn Park. "This is the first time in a wee while that we have been able to say that we are taking a Celtic XI out, the manager (Gordon Strachan) gave his blessing for that particular term. So this is not a reserve team and we may see a few of the players who were included in the first team squad during the American pre-season featuring."
McStay feels that the trip to Donegal will only help his players. "These games, when you go to Ireland, have a sense of occasion to them. It's a big thing for the town and it's a big thing for us, the coaches, to gather the boys together and work with them 24 hours a day. But that sense of occasion, the feeling of it being a big game, makes the difference and the pride is evident in the opposition. They want to beat Celtic and the players have to contend with that as well. The game will form a very important part of what will be a very busy pre-season."
MsStay remembers well his previous visits to Finn Park. "I have great memories of Finn Harps, both as a manager and a player. I played there as a manager and a player and had some great duels with them when Patsy McGowan was the manager there. They are a club with lots of history, they always get big crowds and they have a great Celtic connection and I am really looking forward to getting back there."
Monday's game will be the sixth time that Harps have hosted Celtic at Finn Park. Twice in 1976, the Bhoys made the trip to Ballybofey. The first, in January 1976, was in aid of the Burtonport Ferry Disaster Fund and ended in a 4-4 draw. Seven months later, Celtic returned to Finn Park for a pre-season friendly fixture and again this game ended in a draw – this time though is was scoreless. At the end of the 1982-83 season, Billy McNeill brought his troops to Ballybofey once again and Celtic recorded a comprehensive 4-0 victory. In 1984, Celtic visited Finn Park for the fourth time in eight years and again recorded an easy 3-0 victory. The last visit was ten years ago when a Celtic reserve/youth team selection played out a 0-0 draw with the newly promoted Finn Harps, a game in which current Harps player Declan Boyle captained the Hoops.
The game is close to a sell-out with over 5,000 people expected at Finn Park. Harps will host a Gala Dinner after the match in Jackson's Hotel with tickets for this event still available. A 52 page souvenir limited edition programme has also been produced for the match.
Monday's game at Finn Park kicks-off at 7.30pm.
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