FORGET all talk of flutes, faith and fans not being allowed to go to the match. When Celtic face Linfield next week it’s really all about the other far more important F.

That’s football, by the way.

With so much chatter about potential trouble at the fixture given the clubs involved and what time of the year it is, although it should be said there are many in Belfast bemused by much of what has been said about their city, you could easily forget the most important thing is going to be who will be in the Champions League after this tie is done and dusted.

It should be Celtic, of course. All they need to do, probably, is to get through next Friday’s first-leg at a hostile Windsor Park without anything ridiculous happening and the return would then see Brendan Rodgers’s side make sure they are in the next round.

What happened to Rangers on Tuesday has no bearing on this tie. Ditto that odd night in Gibraltar 12 months ago. Celtic are a settled and strong team. They will have played four warm-up games, including a match with Shamrock Rovers in Dublin tomorrow, before heading back over the Irish Sea.

However, to utterly write off Linfield would be foolish. Domestic football in Northern Ireland has improved beyond recognition from where it was, say, ten years ago, and while Linfield are under-dogs they will fancy being able to give Celtic a fright.

David Healy, the Linfield manager and iconic football figure in his country, praised his players for the way they saw out a goal-less draw against San Marino side La Fiorita, a result which saw the Ulster men get through 1-0 on aggregate.

This is hardly a result and performance to rock European football, but as Healy said: “We did a professional job and we’ve earned the right to be in the same round as Celtic. They have put a lot of work in to get to this point and now I want them to enjoy the games at Windsor and Parkhead, as this may be the only time we play Celtic.

“This tie is a shop window for everyone at the club. If you score and play well against Celtic, you never know what can happen. I’m under no illusions how difficult the tie will be because of the players Celtic have and the way Brendan Rodgers manages them but these are matches we will be looking forward to.

“From my point of view I want to be talking about a football match and nothing else. It’s about hosting the game. Can we do it? Of course we can. Belfast hosts big games. We have the proper stadium now to do that and hopefully everyone lets us get on with that.”

Let’s hope next Friday is known for football and nothing else. There is a risk, of course there is, that something unsavoury could happen and Linfield themselves are hardly blind to that. However, they are confident the game will pass without anything daft happening.

As the club said itself this week; “The manager, staff and players deserve enormous credit for their achievement in progressing through to the second qualifying round. We now look forward to a massive challenge against the Scottish Champions Celtic and it should be a great occasion for everyone associated with the club.

“Both Linfield and Celtic Football Clubs have proud traditions representing their countries in European football and we anticipate great sporting occasions in both Belfast and Glasgow.” Quite.

Linfield captain Jamie Mulgrew, whose team face Hearts in a friendly this weekend, is only thinking about the football side of things as well he should. This is a huge opportunity for this club to show what they can do on and off the field.

Mulgrew is a fine player, both Kilmarnock and Motherwell have been linked with him, and he’s approaching these two games as being the biggest challenge and best experience of his career.

A Rangers fan himself, the captain spoke this week about the how the dressing room has supporters of both Glasgow clubs, a fact some would do well to remember, and all he is interested in is making sure Celtic are given a run for their money.

“No one managed to beat Celtic last year and now we’re up against a top quality team and manager,” said Mulgrew. “The stats are there for all to see about how difficult and challenging the next two games will be.

“I think we’ve got to look at them as games where we won’t have much of the ball. We’ll have to be well drilled and well organised but I think it will stand us in good stead for a difficult season ahead.

“No matter what happens when you get through the first qualifying round, you’re always going to be up against great quality, better quality than you’re used to in the Irish League.

“From my point of view, I’ve had the opportunity to go to Ibrox and captain Linfield there and hopefully I will be able to do the same at Parkhead. That would be very special for me. It’s going to be a great occasion because it’s going to be something we’re unlikely to experience again.”

And this is the only thing which really matters. A football match will take place next Friday, nothing more or less.