Leigh Griffiths believes he will never be able to play at Windsor Park again due to an incident during a Champions League qualifier between Celtic and Linfield at the Belfast stadium in 2017.
After having a bottle of Buckfast thrown at him during the game, Griffiths decided he would exact some revenge by tying a Celtic scarf to a goalpost. It was a moment which incited Linfield supporters.
"So the tying of the scarf on the post, I don't know what actually made me do that, to be honest," Griffiths told the 26 Podcast.
14 July 2017; Leigh Griffiths of Celtic gestures to Linfield supporters during the UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round First Leg match between Linfield and Glasgow Celtic at the National Football Stadium in Windsor Park, Belfast. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
"I remember after we played Rangers at Ibrox, scarves were getting tossed on at the end and I thought, you know what, 'a bit of a statement here.' It's not as if I can go and get a massive flag and stick it in the middle of the centre circle! It just became a thing.
"I only ever did it if we played Rangers at Ibrox or at Hampden if we won a trophy. But I remember at one game we played Linfield away and I was getting dog's abuse."
14 July 2017; Leigh Griffiths of Celtic is shown a yellow card after having missiles thrown at him during the UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round First Leg match between Linfield and Glasgow Celtic at the National Football Stadium in Windsor Park, Belfast. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Griffiths continued: "Linfield is a massive Rangers culture. I was taking a corner and they were giving me dog's abuse.
"The last time we had played Rangers, we beat them 5-1 at Ibrox. So I go like this behind me (5-1 salute with his fingers).
"The next thing a Buckfast bottle comes flying past my head. I'm like, 'Oh ya fucker!' So I go and pick it up and show the ref, I get booked!
"I'm like, 'Mate, I could have just been killed by a Buckfast bottle thrown from the crowd and you want to book me?' I thought nah. I literally ran back put the ball at the corner flag and smash it in the corner. After the game, I was like, 'Nah, fuck this, they're not getting away with this'."
14 July 2017; Leigh Griffiths of Celtic ties a Celtic scarf around the goalpost following the UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round First Leg match between Linfield and Glasgow Celtic at the National Football Stadium in Windsor Park, Belfast. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Griffiths got a scarf from one of the travelling Celtic fans.
"[I went] straight to the post - bosh!" he said.
"Type this in on YouTube, I'm not kidding you. They had to get the army across the corner area, the fans were going to kill me.
"I probably can't step foot back in Windsor Park without getting a doing. Someone would do me in. Nuts.
14 July 2017; Riot police form a line in front of the Linfield supporters following the UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round First Leg match between Linfield and Glasgow Celtic at the National Football Stadium in Windsor Park, Belfast. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
"If I ever play for Scotland again, touchwood I do, but I don't think I will, if we ever played Northern Ireland and we played them at Windsor Park, I couldn't go. There would be people waiting at the hotel, airport and outside the stadium for me.
"At the time I thought it was funny. UEFA ended up giving me a one-game ban. There was never any intention of being malicious, it was just a bit of banter."
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