Football: Cwmbran's fortune made by drawing Celtic

CWMBRAN TOWN'S luck was in yesterday when they were drawn against Celtic in the Uefa Cup qualifying round.

Cwmbran's secretary, Clive Edwards, said: "It's a wonderful draw, great for the club, great for the League of Wales and great for Welsh football. As far as the financial aspect is concerned the games will keep us going for a couple of years."

Celtic brought 5,000 fans for the away leg against Inter Cardiff two seasons ago, so Cwmbran may have to consider switching their home leg to another venue as their Stadium has a capacity of 3,900. Edwards said: "We will be talking to Celtic about this, but we have to be aware of the safety aspect and segregation."

John Barnes, Celtic's new head coach, is hoping that Ian Rush, his former Liverpool team-mate and former Wales striker, will give him a few tips about Cwmbran. "We will give Cwmbran every respect and we will be thorough in our research and preparation," Barnes said. "I will speak to my friend Ian Rush for a few tips to take advantage of his local knowledge."

Rangers are also due to travel for the first leg of their Champions' League second qualifying round tie on 28 July. The Scottish treble winners face either Haka Valkeakoski, who come from the southern corner of Finland, or HB Torshavn from the Faroe Islands.

St Johnstone and Kilmarnock, both seeded along with Celtic, will also fancy their chances of progressing. Saints, back in Europe for the first time in 28 years, meet Finland's VPS Vaasa, while Kilmarnock travel to KR Reykjavik for their first leg.

Uefa has given the go-ahead for Yugoslav clubs to play in the Champions' League and Uefa Cup. The European governing body announced that its task force had decided that "the various organisational and logistical requirements to stage international matches in Yugoslavia were fulfilled".

EUROPEAN DRAWS

CHAMPIONS' LEAGUE First qualifying round: A: Sloga Jugomagnat (Mac) v Kapaz Ganja (Azer). B: IBV Vestmannaeyjar (Ice) v SK Tirana (Alb). C: Partizan Belgrade (Yug) v Flora Tallinn (Est). D: Barry Town (Wal) v Valletta (Malta). E: Litex Lovech (Bul) v Glentoran (N Ire). F: Haka Valkeakoski (Fin) v HB Torshavn (Faroe). G: Skonto Riga (Lat) v Jeunesse Esch (Lux). H: St Patrick's Athletic (Rep of Ire) v Zimbru Chisinau (Mol). I: Zalgiris Vilnius (Lith) v Tsement Ararat (Arm). (First legs 14 July; second legs 21 July). Second qualifying round: Rapid Vienna (Aut) v winner match D; Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyp) v Slovan Bratislava (Slovak); Winner C v NK Rijeka (Croa); CSKA Moscow (Rus) v Molde (Nor); Winner match E v Widzew Lodz (Pol); Winner F v Rangers (Sco); Dynamo Tbilisi (Geor) v winner match H; Dnepr Transmash-Mogilev (Bela) v AIK Solna (Swe); Winner match A v Brondby (Den); Rapid Bucharest (Rom) v winner match G; Besiktas (Turk) v Hapoel Haifa (Isr); Dynamo Kiev (Ukr) v winner match I; Winner match B v MTK Budapest (Hungary); Maribor (Sloven) v Genk (Bel). (First legs 28 July; second legs 4 August).

UEFA CUP Qualifying round: KI Klaksvik (Faroe) v Graz AK (Aut); HIT Gorica (Sloven) v Inter Cardiff (Wal); Lyngby (Den) v Birkirkara (Malta); Anderlecht (Bel) v Leiftur (Ice); Belshina Bobruisk (Bela) v Omonia Nicosia (Cyp); Viking Stavanger (Nor) v Principat (And); FK Yerevan (Arm) v Hapoel Tel Aviv (Isr); Club Bruges (Belgium) v Tulevik Viljandi (Est); VPS Vaasa (Fin) v St Johnstone (Sco); CSKA Sofia (Bul) v Portadown (N Ire); Kryvbas Kryviy Rih (Ukr) v Shamkir (Azer); Steaua Bucharest (Rom) v Levadia Maardu (Est); Grasshopper Zurich (Swit) v Bray Wanderers (Rep of Ire); Metalurgs Liepaja (Lat) v Lech Poznan (Poland); Lantana Tallinn (Est) v Torpedo Kutaisi (Geor); Neftchi Baku (Azer) v Red Star Belgrade (Yug); Bodo Glimt (Nor) v Vaduz (Liech); IFK Gothenburg (Swe) v Cork City (Rep of Ire); KR Reykjavik (Ice) v Kilmarnock (Sco); Lokomotiv Tbilisi (Geor) v Linfield (N Irl); Serif Tiraspol (Mol) v Sigma Olomouc (Cz Rep); Vojvodina Novi Sad (Yug) v Ujpest (Hung); Vllaznia Shkoder (Alb) v Spartak Trnava (Slovak); Cwmbran Town (Wal) v Celtic (Sco); Apoel Nicosia (Cyp) v Levski Sofia (Bul); Ferencvaros (Hung) v Constructorul Chisinau (Mol); Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukr) v Sileks Kratovo (Mac); Mondercange (Lux) v Dinamo Bucharest (Rom); Ankaragucu (Turk) v B36 Torshavn (Faroe); Inter Bratislava (Slovak) v Bylis Ballsh (Alb); FK Riga (Lat) v Helsingborg (Swe); Vardar Skopje (Mac) v Legia Warsaw (Pol); Sliema Wanderers (Malta) v FC Zurich (Swit); Hadjuk Split (Croa) v F91 Dudelange (Lux); Maccabi Tel Aviv (Isr) v Kaunas (Lith); BATE Borisov (Bela) v Lokomotiv Mos (Rus); HJK Helsinki (Fin) v Shirak Gyumri (Arm); Olimpija Ljubljana (Sloven) v Kareda Siauliai (Lith). (First legs 12 August; second legs 26 August).