Bradford City's trip to Macedonia next week is not under threat from the political crisis in neighbouring Kosovo.

City chairman Geoffrey Richmond said: "We have spoken to the Foreign Office and can confirm that the trip is 100 per cent set to go ahead. We have also been in contact with the British Ambassador in Macedonia."

The Bantams' 24-strong party of players and officials will travel to the former Yugoslav republic on Sunday and are set to face Vardar Skopje in a friendly two days later.

The clash has been organised to celebrate British Week in Macedonia with City invited as part of Bradford's twinning with Skopje.

All proceeds from the game will go towards funding the Special Institute for the Profoundly Disabled, which is based in Demirkapija - about two hours drive from Skopje.

The current political unrest in the area has led to the Republic of Ireland's weekend games with Yugoslavia in Belgrade being postponed by UEFA.

Despite Macedonia sharing a border with both Kosovo and Yugoslavia, the Foreign Office and officials in the country do not envisage any problems.

Mark Dickinson has been the British Ambassador in Macedonia since April, 1997, and says the country's football fans are eagerly looking forward to City's visit.

He said: "We can't see any reason why the trip should not go ahead. The border of Kosovo may be only 20 miles away, but it might as well be on the other side of the moon.

"The current situation has not touched Macedonia and the country is perfectly normal at the moment."

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