Irish League club’s German glamour match in doubt after flight cancellation

An Irish League club’s glamor match in Germany this weekend was thrown into doubt after the flight they were due to travel on was cancelled.

Glenavon are set to face Erzgebirge Aue on Saturday afternoon at the Erzgebirgsstadion but players and officials are caught up in the ongoing pay dispute with Aer Lingus.

Around 400 Aer Lingus flights have been canceled until July 7 due to pilots’ indefinite strike and work-to-rule policy.

Read more: Shayne Lavery on the move as new manager hails her ‘fantastic character’

Read more: Alcohol theme continues as English club announce signing of NI star

Many passengers were left grounded, including Glenavon who spent months organising the special pre-season friendly against third-tier Bundesliga side Erzgebirge Aue.

The match is set to be played on the 64th anniversary of a 1960 European Cup tie between the sides, which was cancelled after Glenavon were refused visas for the former East Germany, while Erzgebirge Aue, then known as Wismut, were refused by the British Embassy in Berlin.

UEFA had allowed the first and second legs to be played in neutral countries, but this was not financially viable for the Lurgan Blues.

There are now doubts about whether the match will take place this weekend.

A Glenavon spokesman said: “We have been left in limbo because of the strike. We don’t know what’s going to happen.

“We have to fly from Dublin to Berlin on Friday morning, before the game on Saturday. But it is clear that the Aer Lingus strike has grounded many people.

“We have 40 people who need to travel to Germany, but now Aer Lingus says they can only accommodate 15, which is of no use to us. We have been planning this trip for months, if not years, even though It was originally hoped to achieve it in 2020, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the first European Cup match.

“Covid obviously derailed those plans but we had everything in place to finally play this weekend but now we don’t know what’s going to happen.”

In a statement on the club’s website, Glenavon said a “lack of assistance” from Aer Lingus had “added to the disappointment and logistical obstacles faced by players and staff”.

Lurgan Blues added: “We are currently working with Aer Lingus to reschedule flights. We will keep fans informed in due course.

The spokesperson told Belfast Live: “The club has spent a lot of money on this trip, and let’s not forget the fans who have to travel to the match. Many have booked on other airlines and will therefore not be able to not cancel and get refunds.

“It’s a bit of a mess for everyone and we hope there will be a solution. We’ve been going from house to house and no one seems to want to take responsibility.

“No one has given us any indication that the problem will be resolved.”

Aer Lingus has been contacted for a response.

Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines delivered to your inbox