TONIGHT IN THE EUROPEAN CUP

A review of Glentoran-Shelbourne from Michael Walker in the Guardian:

East Belfast awoke in ashes yesterday morning. As the city had gone to bed in flames on Monday night this was no great surprise. Bonfires across Northern Ireland signalled the beginning of the key 24-hour period in the Protestant calendar and yesterday the streets boomed to the sound of drums and marching feet.

At 7pm last night Glentoran, the winners of the northern Irish League, should have entertained Shelbourne, winners of the southern League of Ireland, in a Champions League qualifier. Strangely, Uefa had taken no account of Irish history in scheduling this first round of qualifiers for July 12, but when the draw was made all Ireland knew the events of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 meant something 315 years on would have to give. So Uefa gave the clubs another day and the first leg takes place at The Oval, Glentoran's ground in east Belfast, tonight instead.

Uefa was also quickly made aware that Shelbourne should be excused the requirement to be in Belfast the night before kick-off. Guaranteeing the Dubliners safe passage to train would have been added stress for an already extended local police force. The UVF loyalist paramilitaries staged a "show of strength" - ie gunfire - near The Oval on Monday night.

"I can understand their trepidation," said the Glentoran chairman Stafford Reynolds of Shelbourne. "Sometimes people have a vision of Belfast and there are concerns. It would be the same for us if we were travelling to a country in central Europe that has problems. We would be concerned."

Shelbourne chose to stay in Dundalk, just south of the border. They will complete the 100-mile journey from Dublin to Belfast this afternoon followed by 500 supporters.

A twin hope is that the tension of yesterday will have cooled and that the re-opened loyalist feud, which began about a mile away from Glentoran's ground 10 days ago and which has claimed two lives so far, does not impinge.