All right-minded football fans will totally condemn the sinister death threats again being made to Celtic manager Neil Lennon. The evil campaign of intimidation aimed at the Irishman has reached a stage where he is having to be moved to safe houses for the protection of himself and his family and now has to work and live within the shadow of 24-hour security surveillance. After being sent live ammunition in the post, Lennon, who was forced to quit his career with Northern Ireland after earlier death threats, has now become the victim of a hoax nail bomb incident. These dire circumstances for Lennon and his family transcend all sporting rivalry and it is hardly surprising that he is now seriously considering his future in Glasgow. It has been revealed that three times in recent months Lennon and his family have had to leave their home because threats being issued against him were found to be both credible and dangerous. Lennon canââ¬â¢t go anywhere now without minders guarding him night and day and security has been stepped up on his parents' and sisters' homes in Northern Ireland. It is a sad reflection on the primeval passions and rancid hatred that still fester in parts of Scottish society that the life of a prominent citizen is publicly being threatened. It is difficult to accept that in the 21st Century this sort of terror campaign can be unleashed on a football manager- even one as controversial as Lennon. The volatile Ulsterman has never been far away from the headlines in his first full season as a manager. His touchline antics have already brought him a four-game ban from the SFA and he will face more disciplinary trouble after Celticââ¬â¢s midweek 1-0 Scottish Cup win over Rangers. But, before anyone tries to link the latest threats to his much-publicised touchline verbal spat with Rangers counterpart Ally McCoist, these new incidents happened well before Tuesdayââ¬â¢s stormy Old Firm clash. Yes, as a rookie manager Lennon has made mistakes. His brash, outspoken style has made him a hate figure with some opposition fans. He needs to adopt a more measured approach to management. But, surely, nothing he has ever done on a football field or in a technical area, excuses the threats to murder him? All the evidence confirms there is a concerted campaign underway to frighten Lennon out of Celtic Park and away from Scotland. The police, Scottish football as an entity and the Scottish government must come together to ensure that Lennon and anyone else for that matter are allowed to ply their trades safely in Scottish football. The summit on the latest Old Firm troubles needs to take a far more expansive look at the sectarianism and bigotry in Scotland and the effects it is having on football rather than simply concentrating on the issues of one turbulent match. Lennonââ¬â¢s friend and fellow Celtic coach Alan Thompson admits his manager has no option but to consider his future Thompson explained: "His family are first and foremost both in Scotland, his partner Irene and his little boy Gallagher, as well as his mum, dad and sisters back home.ââ¬Â But the Englishman believes that Lennon will delay any decision on his future until Celticââ¬â¢s season is over. Thompson added: "Only Neil and his family can make that decision but I'd be surprised if he goes anywhere in the next nine or 10 weeks. He's got strong people around him.ââ¬Â Celtic fans will fully understand if Lennon puts his family before football and chooses a quiet life before possible death. But it will be a mortal blow to the credibility of the Scottish game if Lennon is driven out by the extremists. If they succeed in making his life in Scotland intolerable, where will it all end? Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opi...ame-for-good-article710669.html#ixzz1G0IFdaJR
Good article. Something needs to be done and it needs to be done fast. There is a real and intimidating campaign going on and I fear that it may end in tragedy. You've only got to look at the bigots on FF and even on here to see the hatred and venom directed towards Neil Lennon. They blame everything but the real reason: the fact he's a Catholic from Northern Ireland AND he's doing well as Celtic manager. You've only got to look at some of the comments alog the lines of: "I don't hate Lemon because he's a Kafflic from NI but I wish someone would kill the taig ****" That's the sort of mentality we are dealing with here. Instead of holding a summit to look at a few handbags situations from Wednesday night, the police and the politicians need to urgently take action against websites such as Follow Follow and similar sites who are behind this.
It's strange how we seen hand wringing form these politicians but nothing in the way of condemnation nor concern about the death threats made to Neil Lennon. They really need a boot up the arse.
What has it got to do with Scottish politicians? Quite frankly, I'm annoyed that they are sticking their grubby noses into a football match that was eventful, nothing more or less. A smaller state is what is required in this country, instead we have politics getting in the way of progress.
Relentless Girvan ... over and over and over and over! It doesn't becoem true by simply repeating! Do you not get bored with this obsession!!
Agree ... funny how the politicians are sticking their noses in coming up to an Election!!! The reaction to the last OF game is way over the top!
Martin O'Neil did not live in Glasgow. The death threats against Neil Lennon have come from religious zealots who are probably in all likelyhood Rangers fans, the campaign to get him to quit is about fear and hatred, they fear him because of what he may achieve, they hate him because of what he is. As for your regurgitaed pish about John Collins, Paul Lambert, Owen Coyle and many others besides, i'm afraid that a sham defence from blinkered Gers fans, hypocrites to a man them who repeat the fable of how previous managers/players would be embrassed at Lennon's antics. No one but an idiot would buy that pish. I have even read some people saying that Jock Stein would be spinning in his grave at lennon's behaviour, the same people who say that are happy to spout BJK nonsense. I don't give two ****s for your opinion of Neil Lennon, because you are biased and bitter like most who hate him.
You wouldn't know the truth if it bit you on the arse. I wont be arguing with you any more but I suspect you'll carry on... please log in to view this image
You wouldn't half know Girvan reads Follow Follow, he's fairly typical. I love this "But he should realise he needs to go" - why should he realise this, he has built the best team in Scotland who are still on target for their first domestic treble since 2001. The Celtic support love him, his worst crime is to mouth off at El Hadj Diouf (and he shouldn't have done it). He has the support of every one of us, he is on course to embarrass you - he needs to stay! I tell you what needs to go, the majority of Rangers supporters like Girvan with their small town mentality and 19th century opinions about 'Ra Catholiks'. Of all the travelling about Europe I've done in the past 6 years I truly haven't met any other group of people with such a backward mentality as these groups of huns. Even their own kind are embarrassed by them. They pissed all over Barcelona, they attacked the Villarreal team bus, they threw a homeless man into a fountain in Lisbon and the less said about the biggest day in their club's recent history the better. They complain that media is bias in favour of Celtic, they complain that all their 'misbehaviour' is more widely reported than Celtic's. Their first line of defense whenever they destroy Manchester or send death threats to Neil Lennon is "how do you know it was a Rangers supporter and not someone pretending to be a Rangers supporter?" They are a different breed of human.
He might a mouthy angry little man but the claims of being a bigot and a racist are fantasy. I read the Follow Follow 'dossier' on his racism, would you actually care for me to paste? I suspect not, it's embarrassing.
According to Follow Follow, Derek Johnstone, Gordon Dalziel and even Richard Gough are Celtic-minded simply because they wont endorse the claims of the bigots about Neil Lennon. That's the kind of mentality we're dealing with here.
