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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Liam Bryce

Celtic XI kick off pre-season with Fraserburgh charity clash

A Celtic B team XI travelled north on Saturday for a charity match against Fraserburgh FC.

A youthful side led by Darren O'Dea and Stephen McManus took on the Highland League club at Bellslea Park in a fundraising match for Fraserburgh Lifeboat Station. The fixture was first played 53 years ago, when Jock Stein's Celtic headed for the north-east to help raise money for the families of five RNLI volunteers who died when their lifeboat capsized off the Aberdeenshire coast in January 1970.

Saturday was the first time the teams have crossed paths since, again for a charitable cause. In front of a sold-out crowd, and after a minute's silence for those who perished, the friendly finished goalless before Celtic prevailed 5-3 in a penalty shootout.

Among those who featured for the Parkhead side were B team regulars plus some who featured for the U-18s in the Youth Cup Final win over Rangers last season. That included Lenny Agbaire, Corey Thomson, Mitchell Frame, Kyle Ure, Mackenzie Carse and Bruno Davidson.

The first team's pre-season preparations are set to get underway later this month. Brendan Rodgers will meet the squad at Lennoxtown before embarking on a tour of Japan and South Korea.

Earlier this week, Celtic's friendly against Wolves in Korea on July 26 was cancelled after the Premier League side pulled out citing organisational concerns. Organisers Stadium X have since revealed they are arranging for Rodgers' side to play K-League side Incheon United instead.

They said in a statement: "While the visits of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Roma have been cancelled, a match between Celtic and Incheon United is still progressing.

"We are changing our original schedule and promoting a match now between Incheon and Celtic, who have national striker Oh Hyeon-gyu in their team.

"We would like to express our deepest apologies to football fans in South Korea for the cancellation of some of the matches."

Celtic have other matches lined up against Gamba Osaka and Yokohama F. Marinos, former club of Daizen Maeda and Tomoki Iwata, as well as the club's former manager Ange Postecoglou.

They will return to Celtic Park for the first time under Rodgers on August to play Athletic Club in James Forrest's testimonial.

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