
Celtic announce friendly with Scottish Championship side to kick-start 2025-26 campaign
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
CELTIC have a varied pre-season planned including trips to Ireland, Portugal and Italy.
But its just been announced that it will all gets started with a clash against Queen's Park just down the road at the City Stadium.
2
Ruari Paton, now of Dundee Utd, was on target for Queen's Park
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
2
Celtic's Matt O'Riley and Queen's Park's Jack Thomson battle for the ball
Credit: PA
The two Glasgow sides met at the venue which was once known as Lesser Hampden at a similar point last season, with the Hoops running out 6-4 winners courtesy of a Kyogo hat-trick.
And Brendan Rodgers and his men will be back there on the evening of Friday, July 5 to take on Sean Crighton and Jim Duffy's side as they attempt to build on last year's double triumph.
Celts are due to play Cork in Ireland on Tuesday July 8 before flying to Portugal for an eight-day preseason training camp, which includes a match against Sporting Lisbon in Faro.
They then return to Scotland to take on Newcastle at home in a glamour friendly on Saturday July 19.
But there's a two-week gap before the league season kicks off on August 2 - with Celts' Champions League play-off almost three weeks later.
And so they've decided to face Como and Ajax in a glamour summer tournament in Italy.
Queen's Park wrote on social media: "Queen's Park FC is delighted to welcome Celtic to The city Stadium this summer for another pre-season friendly.
"The sides met a year ago at our now permanent home, and fans were treated to a feast of goals at the ground.
"This year the Scottish champions will be back on the southside to do it all over again with kick-off scheduled for 7.45pm on Friday, July 4."
Cheeky Celtic supporters hoist Irish flag at site of Scotland's new superjail
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
4 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Pep Guardiola tells Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers what he wants to hear about Simpson-Pusey as 'trust' made crystal clear
Rodgers knows Guardiola trusts Simpson-Pusey implicitly and you don't have to look far for cold hard proof of that Brendan Rodgers hinted Pep Guardiola's 'trust' in Jahmai Simpson-Pusey may have been one of the driving factors behind Celtic's decision to bring him in. And there's no denying the Man City boss rates the youngster after he delivered a public glowing verdict on the 'unbelievable' 19-year-old. The centre-back arrives at Parkhead after something of a breakthrough season at the Etihad where he managed six top-team appearances, which included starts in the Premier League and Champions League. on top of a number of cup outings. That experience with some of the best players in the world made it a no-brainer for Rodgers to bring him in and, speaking to Sky Sports, he admitted the faith shown by Guardiola in him last season made it an easy decision to bring him in. Rodgers said: "He's a young player that I feel can come into this environment and really support us in the games that we play. "We need a number of centre halves and he is one, with his profile and attributes that fit how we play. "He has got good pace. He is a good defender first and foremost but he can also play football because at Celtic, you need to be able to build the game from behind and progress it quickly. He can do that. "He has had some senior games with Manchester City and has had the trust of Pep (Guardiola) to put him in. Now he comes here for a year and continues that education at a massive club." And you don't need to look far for a sign of that 'trust' Rodgers is referring to. Simpson-Pusey is fancied to have a big future and, if Guardiola is to be believed, then it's a major coup for Celtic to bring him in. He threw him in for his Premier League debut against Brighton back in November, having previously started him against Sporting CP in the Champions League. City, struggling for form, lost that game 2-1. But Simpson-Pusey was one of the bright spots as he looked capable beside Josko Gvardiol and Kyle Walker in the back line. Speaking after the game, Guardiola said: 'Jahmai Simpson-Pusey played really good again, with this composure – the duels, everything was good. We have a central defender to help us for the next years. 'I'm really pleased. Always, there is good news when a situation is going bad – and this is one of them. It's not easy for him. 'Normally, the young lads come in with the support of the team – Rodri in front of them, the best Kyle Walker and other defenders. He's playing in a position that is difficult for him, and he performed unbelievably.' You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Celtic page, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season.


Daily Record
4 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Union Bears scrap Rangers tifo for Champions League clash as ultras group issue statement
Gers welcome Viktoria Plzen in the first leg of their third round qualifying encounter The Union Bears have confirmed that they have shelved plans for a tifo display at Ibrox tonight ahead of Rangers' Champions League showdown with Viktoria Plzen due to the effects of Storm Floris. Russell Martin 's men take on the Czech side in the first leg of their third round qualifying showdown before travelling to the continent for the return fixture in eight days time. Should they emerge victorious over two legs, then they will face the winner of the tie between Club Brugge and Red Bull Salzburg for a place in the main section of the Champions League, which could see the club bank up to as much as £40million. However, the players will not be welcomed onto a pitch by a huge tifo from the Broomloan Stand after the Union Bears reluctantly pulled the plug on the display. Their statement on X read: "Due to the wind/adverse weather we are reluctantly pulling tonight's planned tifo. "After weeks of work this decision is the last thing we wanted but we've been left with no choice. "In the absence of a tifo we urge all fans heading to Ibrox tonight bring a scarf and more importantly bring the noise and back the team right from the start. Martin is looking for a quickfire response from his players after tearing into them in the wake of Saturday's 1-1 draw at Fir Park in their Premiership opener with Motherwell. The former Southampton boss will welcome new signing Oliver Antman into the squad after he rubber-stamped a £4million switch from Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday. Rangers will however be without fellow new recruit Mikey Moore after the Tottenham loanee's paperwork to get the green-light from UEFA wasn't processed in time for the game because of his under 18 status. Norway international Thelo Aasgaard will still have to wait for his official Light Blues debut as he continues his recovery from an injury while striker Hamza Igamane has also been ruled out of the first leg clash against the Czechs. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers pages and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here.


Wales Online
6 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant
Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant The latest headlines from Wales and around the world James Ryan of the British and Irish Lions clashes with Will Skelton of the Wallabies (Image:) These are your evening rugby headlines on Tuesday, August 5. Lions star faces surgery British & Irish Lions star Tom Curry is set to go under the knife on a wrist ligament injury, having put off surgery until after the tour of Australia. The England flanker was one of the standout performers in Andy Farrell's squad Down Under, with the head coach describing him as a "machine" as he capped stunning performances in the opening two Tests with tries in each, before ending the third and final clash as the game's top tackler. Curry put his body on the line throughout the series, something which is made all the more remarkable by the Sale Sharks man's eventful injury history and the long-standing issue he has with his wrist. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Ahead of the tour, Sale boss Alex Sanderson revealed that the back rower would need to go under the knife, but admitted that the 'superhuman' England star was happy to play through the pain to be involved with the Lions. However, now that the tour is done and dusted, the operating table awaits for Curry. "He will need an operation at some point, but he's clearly able to manage it and play through whatever pain he's experiencing currently," Sanderson said back in May. "It's not something that is stopping his game minutes or something that's managing his training minutes either. Article continues below "He had to play and play through to see if he could, and if the risk was minimised, which the specialist was happy with, and the pain was manageable, which it clearly is for the superhuman that he is, then he'd put himself up for Lions selection. "The alternative is he could have an operation now and he'd probably miss the last run of games and he might miss the first two games of the Lions," the Premiership side's director of rugby added. "That wasn't a solution, because the level of competition for his position was so high, he had to see if he could manage it." Ryan 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant Australia legend David Campese has issued a scathing assessment of this year's British & Irish Lions Test series, claiming the tourists only delivered a "microwave meal version" of themselves compared to the "banquet feasts" that came before them. Andy Farrell's squad are returning home as series champions, having won the first two Tests before falling to defeat against the Wallabies in their final showdown in Sydney. However, Campese has been left feeling underwhelmed by what he saw from the Lions, instead hailing the "remarkable effort" of Joe Schmidt's team and "singing the praises" of individual Wallabies players. In a damning column piece for Planet Rugby, the 62-year-old also hit out at Farrell for treating the series as "an Irish development tour," even singling out one Ireland star for criticism and claiming he was "terrorised" by Wallabies giant Will Skelton. "It's hard to know how this Lions tour will be judged," Campese wrote. "At times, I feel that the hype was far greater than the reality. It was all a little manufactured, perhaps a little twee. "There was no real moments that came from within from the tourists. It seemed as if there was a need to force the narrative of legacy, of the history, rather than making the history itself through moments and performances." Turning his attention to the host's standout players, and indeed their opposition, the Wallabies legend continued: "Australia with Will Skelton, Taniela Tupou, Tom Hooper and Bobby Valetini are a completely different proposition than without them. "[Skelton] has a limited shelf life and the conditions played into his hand in terms of stamina, but every time he plays against James Ryan he absolutely terrorises the bloke and that happened once again," he added. "I also feel that Andy Farrell at times treated this as an Irish development tour. There's no way that the likes of Bundee Aki, James Lowe, Andrew Porter, James Ryan and Jack Conan were the best players in their position during the build-up and series. "Never forget, whilst these guys have had some success in friendly Tests and so on, they've achieved absolutely nothing in terms of the big silverware in Test rugby – the World Cup – and there's a reason for that – they're average players. "I go back to my point about Ryan – Skelton owns him every time he faces him." Get daily rugby updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice New role for Cole Leicester Tigers legend Dan Cole has joined the club's staff after hanging up his boots at the end of last season. The England prop - who made 388 appearances for the Premiership side - has been appointed as the Tigers' new recruitment & retention manager, and will work closely with incoming head coach Geoff Parling to align the club's senior squad and academy and pathway programmes. Cole, who also won a total of 121 Test caps for England and the British & Irish Lions, has already started in his new role, the club confirmed, with Parling also back in the UK after finishing his duties with Australia. The club's CEO Andrea Pinchen said: 'We are delighted to be able to keep someone of Dan's experience and knowledge at Leicester Tigers. 'He has always shown a keen interest in this area and, as anyone who knows him will attest, his attention to detail and professionalism are second to none. "His playing career was as successful as it was because of his work ethic, but also his commitment to learning and evolving every step of the way," Pinchen continued. "Add to that that he is a Leicester Tigers man through and through; he wants to see this club be successful and, pleasingly, wants to contribute and be a part of this exciting new chapter. Article continues below 'Dan will be a great fit, there's no doubt about that, and with the appointment of the new head of rugby operations to oversee the process and refreshed staffing structure, I am confident in what is being put in place."