The countdown to a massive UEFA Champions League showdown is on, with Celtic Park set to host one of the biggest nights in European football as Bayern Munich arrive in Glasgow.
Demand for tickets has been sky-high, with the Scottish Premiership champions going up against the Bundesliga leaders tonight.
Celtic had arranged for singer Liam McGrandles to perform a few tunes in front of a sold-out crowd before the first leg kicked off.
However, McGrandles, who is a familiar face to many match goers, has now taken the decision to pull the plug on his appearance after receiving a nasty backlash.
It’s claimed that some had suggested his presence would ruin the build-up to such a highly-anticipated fixture.
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Announcing his decision, McGrandles took to social media to express his disappointment, saying he had chosen to step away from the performance due to the nasty and personal criticism that’s been coming his way online.
He wrote: “Just a wee post to address the mad hate that came my way yesterday. I decided to pull the gig this morning myself, as it’s just not worth the grief I was receiving. I understand that the pre-match gig isn’t everybody’s thing…. but some of the stuff was nasty and personal.
“To get it from fellow Celtic fans was a punch in the gut to be honest. I’ve worked extremely hard for nearly 20 years to get into the position of being offered a gig like that. A gig I was never gonnae knock back. I’m a normal guy who sings in pubs every weekend to provide for his family.
“I’m not a multi-millionaire living in a bubble. I’ve got family that would’ve seen all that last night. I’ve seen this platform becoming a bit of a cesspit over the years, and so I tend to avoid it.
“I’d just say to the faceless accounts that piled on to slaughter me: be careful as it could be yourself on the receiving end one day. I’m a big Bhoy and this isn’t something that’ll stop me doing the job I love.”
