Three Blues fans make 3,500-mile Baku trip
the loneliness of the long distance football fans.
But Linfield, who are dreaming of glory in the Europa League tonight, are not bothered that they will only have three supporters in Azerbaijan, where they will be outnumbered by at least 2,000 to one by fanatical fans of their Azeri opponents.
In Belfast thousands of Linfield followers will be watching a live stream of the match against Qarabag on the BBC NI website as the Blues try to become the first Irish League club to qualify for the group stages of the competition.
Hundreds of fans are expected to gather in Linfield supporters’ social clubs to see the coverage on big screens.
The Blues take a totally unexpected 3-2 lead into the match, which will be played in the same city — but not the same stadium — where Chelsea beat Arsenal to win the Europa League in May.
Linfield only know of three of their fans who have made the 3,500-mile journey to Baku, the farthest the Belfast club has ever travelled for a European game.
The Northern Ireland-based supporters are Ivan Ogborn and Gareth Holden, who have been joined by Philip Middleton, who lives in Derby and who has attended all of Linfield’s away games this season in Norway, the Faroe Islands and Montenegro.
Philip was the only supporter in the Faroes.
Linfield’s website praised the travelling trio but commended Philip’s far flung fervour in particular. It said ‘his accent may be English’ but to get to Baku he had to travel from his home in Derby to Heathrow airport where he journeyed to Baku via Frankfurt in Germany.
Some members of the 1st Raven Linfield Supporters Club in east Belfast usually attend the Blues’ matches abroad.
“But no-one can afford anothIT’S
er trip,” said club member Marc McGaughey. “Linfield normally only have one away game in Europe in a season and maybe two. But this is the fourth game in only a matter of weeks.”
But that doesn’t mean the east Belfast supporters won’t see the crucial game — they are showing the live stream of the BBC’s
❝ It will be a tough ask but we’re allowed to dream
footage in their social club. Marc, who is the son of one of Linfield’s top goal-scorers of all-time, Martin McGaughey, said: “We’re inviting all Bluemen to join us to cheer the Blues on, hopefully, to another triumph. It’ll be a tough ask but we’re allowed to dream.”
The game will also be screened in several other supporters’ clubs, including Lisburn and Monkstown.
Tonight’s match will be played at the Tofig Bahramov Stadium in Baku, which has a link to England’s World Cup win in 1966. The 30,000 seater ground is named after the linesman who famously played a huge part in the awarding of Geoff Hurst’s contentious third goal for England in their 4-2 World Cup final win against West Germany.
Bahramov was from Azerbaijan and after Azeri independence, and following the linesman’s death in 1993, the Baku stadium was called after him.
LINFIELD manager David Healy has challenged his players to continue their historic European journey with one more heroic effort tonight. The stage is set for what could be the greatest achievement in the club’s history — if they can climb a mountain in Azerbaijan.
Linfield, wearing their away red and white kit, will run out at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium aiming to become the first Irish League side to make the group stages of the Europa League.
Whatever happens at the home of Azerbaijan champions Qarabag, Healy and his men will return home with their heads held high — but they could still be walking on air.
In humid conditions, the visitors will be looking to keep their cool and they will need to be at the peak of their powers to emerge triumphant following the first leg, which they edged 3-2 at Windsor Park.
Linfield have already netted just under £1.4m from a European campaign which has seen them win back-to-back fixtures for the first time since 1966, and their prize money will hit the £4m mark if they can qualify for the group stages.
But the remarkable run, which has included victories over HB Torshavn of the Faroe Islands and Montenegro champions Sutjeska, has left the players hungry for more glory.
Healy knows the odds are stacked against his men but he’s backing them to write the most glorious chapter in the club’s illustrious history.
“I prefer Windsor to here, of course, but there’ll be an excitable crowd and possibly slightly hostile,” said Northern Ireland’s
record goalscorer. “They will be looking for goals and we are under no illusions about the task ahead. But I’ve spoken to the players and we believe.
“There is no point in us being here to make the numbers up, that’s not what we are doing.
“It’s a challenge but, having trained at the ground, I’ve made it clear to the players we could be on the end of a huge result for the football club.
“I’ve told them to dream big because football can create heroes. We will all need to be heroes and hopefully a few of the players write their names in the club’s history books.”
This is the furthest Linfield have travelled in Europe, in every sense, and just one more hurdle must be cleared before they can reach the groups.
“It would be brilliant to finish this off,” added Healy. “The players believe that it’s possible but we need to take that into the game and we will be as positive as we can.
“Qarabag have huge European pedigree but I know we have the players who can deliver a positive performance.
“It’s been an incredible journey and we don’t want it to end. I want the players to experience more occasions like this. I’d have snapped your hand off for a 1-0 lead last week. I firmly believe the players are physically and mentally ready.”
Linfield captain Jamie Mulgrew will equal the club’s record of 36 European appearances held by legend Noel Bailie tonight.
“They came out all guns
blazing at Windsor and it could be even more intense for us out here with their home crowd behind them,” he said.
“They were a bit shellshocked by our level of performance. I don’t think they expected that but I’m sure they have a few more gears to reach.
“I don’t think there is too much pressure on us, we have surprised a few people and it is simply a huge match to relish. You never know when these opportunities come again. I don’t think it’s a crime to dream of what might happen.”
Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill guided Shamrock Rovers to the Europa League group stages in 2011 and hopes Linfield can make history.
O’Neill’s Rovers defeated Serbian champions Partizan Belgrade 2-1 in the second leg of their tie following extra-time.
“I think it’ll be tough and it’s a bit similar to what we faced,” said O’Neill (above) as he announced his Northern Ireland squad for the games against Luxembourg and Germany. “We drew the first leg and went to Belgrade, which is a very hostile place. Maybe not as hot as Baku, but it was blistering hot that night, so it will be challenging. “They have to stay in the game. I had a good chat with David and said, ‘Stay in the game as long as possible’.
“When you do that, the belief in your team grows.
“The challenge for Linfield will be how they react if they go behind and how they then try and get back in front.
“We had that same situation in Belgrade. We were 1-0 down and my right-back scored a volley from about 30 yards that he’d never, ever score again.
“You need things like that to happen and he’ll probably need his goalkeeper and defence to play exceptionally well.
“They’ve done an amazing job to get to this stage of the competition and to be challenging and keep the tie alive.
“Clubs like Aberdeen are out of the competition and other clubs in much stronger leagues have exited the Europa League by this point. “David has done a fantastic job and Linfield deserve enormous credit. They’ve done it right, they’ve prepared properly and the benefits of that are showing.
“Everyone here should wish them well, it would be a massive achievement if they can get through and I’ll be watching with interest.” • COLERAINE have signed goalkeeper Martin Gallagher from Institute on a two-year deal, striker Nedas Maciulaitis from Annagh United and midfielder Aaron Jarvis, also from ’Stute.