Club to issue statement on RUC match

Donegal Celtic, the West Belfast football club due to play the RUC on Saturday, are to issue a statement today about the match…

Donegal Celtic, the West Belfast football club due to play the RUC on Saturday, are to issue a statement today about the match.

A spokesman for the club last night refused to comment on its likely content but there was widespread speculation that the club will announce the cancellation of the match. Unionists are claiming the club has been subjected to threats and intimidation from Republicans.

Donegal Celtic had been drawn to play the RUC in the semi-final of the Steel and Son Cup. However, it came under considerable pressure from Sinn Fein to cancel the match.

The club met representatives of the party and the Relatives for Justice Group, comprising those whose relatives have been killed by the security forces. But after careful consideration the club members decided by 108 votes to 70, in a secret ballot at a meeting last Sunday, to go ahead with the fixture.

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Ulster Unionist councillor, Mr Jim Rodgers, said yesterday that sources at the club had told him they had been intimidated.

"Representatives from the Republican movement had warned them that their grounds would suffer and that their dressing room would most probably be set on fire. This is most unfortunate. The blame lies with Sinn Fein/IRA."

Mr Rodgers called on the RUC to investigate the alleged threats.

Earlier, the Centre for Human Rights called on Donegal Celtic to withdraw from the match.