Good morning, I'm a Sunderland supporter & to be honest I don't understand what goes on in Scotland, but can someone tell me & the rest of the world what Neil Lennon has done, to deserve the treatment he's been getting, personally I don't think he deserves to have an opposition fan run up to and punch him, I don't think he deserves to be threatened & have bullets sent to him, that's my personal opinion. Why is it happening, why is football being damaged this way?
There's no doubting that Neil Lennon is a divisive character. As a player he was disliked by opposition fans because he was a good player and he got in the faces of players (although it didn't seem to bother people down south despite the fact he played the same way.) However, what we are witnessing now goes far beyond that. Yes, as a manager he still possesses that combative streak and his passion for Celtic FC means he goes too far at times but he has never, I repeat NEVER done anything to deserve the treatment he is receiving now. There has been an orchestrated campaign by a section of Rangers fans since he became Celtic manager. Sites such as Follow Follow are full of hatred and bile towards Mr Lennon and they even went as far as accusing him of making racist comments towards Diouf. They even considered employing a lip reader to prove this DESPITE the fact that Diouf himself said that Lennon did not say anything racist. Neil Lennon has been assaulted on the street, has been the victim of hoax bombs, has been sent genuine bombs in the post, has had websites set up encouraging people to kill him, has been sent bullets in the post and was again assaulted on Wednesday night. He and his family are under police protection. Why? Because he winds people up? Because he has an aggressive personality? And the cry of so many Rangers fans is what? "He brings it on himself". Absolutely disgraceful and exactly the sort of argument you would expect from the brainless ****wits who give their club such a bad name. There can be no justification for what has and is happening to Neil Lennon. It's the people who are dishing out the abuse and threats who are in the wrong, not Neil Lennon. As Celtic fans we are all Neil Lennon. He is the victim, Scottish football and Scotland as a whole is the victim. We must not let these thugs win.
We have to also put the attacks on Lennon in the context that two prominent Celtic supporters (an MSP who had the temerity to wear a Celtic top in her last day at work prior to retiring, and a QC who has represented the club) have also been sent viable letterbombs. Furthermore two Celtic players, Niall McGinn and Paddy McCourt, both Catholic and both Irish, have been sent bullets in the post this season. The argument made by many is that Lennon receives the level of abuse he does because of his actions and personality. Indeed he may be disliked by many for entirely non-sectarian reasons. But to suggest the people sending the bombs, sending the bullets and assaulting him are doing so because he's an abrasive character just doesn't stack up. The other victims of the 'bombs and bullets' campaign only share Celtic in common and in the case of McGinn and McCourt, the fact that they are Irish Catholics. Scotland is in denial if this campaign is not seen as having clear sectarian motives. Unfortunately there are all too many apologists up here, and you can read their misguided rants in numerous threads written on not606 over the past days and weeks.
Until we are told the 'bombers' motives, all you're doing is speculating. As yet, NOTHING connects Rangers with either the hate mail/ fake bombs/ personal attacks on Lennon this season. For all the **** spewed by Stereorapist, the Celtic fans have been guilty of such abhorrent acts in the past with Nacho Novos home address and phone number made public via the internet and vbarious songs about wishing him dead, and he was subjected to physical abuse too on more than one occasion. WE all agree that this ****e with Lemnon needs to stop, not one person on this site condones what happens. All we Rangers fans have been trying to do is try and understand why this/these absolute arseholes are doing it. That what happens in a modern society.
What a crock of ****e. Who set up the websites encouraging people to kill Neil Lennon? Who campaigned to get Lennon done for racism? What team do the two men who assaulted him in the street support? There has never been such an orchestrated campaign against one individual in Scottish football as there has been against Neil Lennon. Celtic have their share of idiotic fans but nothing comes close to the treatment Lennon has received. And it comes from Rangers fans. Let us be in no doubt about that. You only have to read some of the comments on here, on BBC606 and on Rangers specific sites to see that. Not one person on this site condones it? Bullshit. Girvan Loyal and BillyBoy and one now banned user do/did little else. Of course, they may all just be the same poster with different accounts. Until yesterday, many Rangers fans kept saying the 'bombers' were probably from Northern Ireland and it was probably linked to Neil Lennon's upbringing. Now we find the 'bombers' live in Ayrshire. It's been claimed that they are both Rangers fans but that hasn't been confirmed yet. Would anyone be the least bit surprised if they turn out to be Rangers fans? I think not. Finally, I think everyone is getting ****ing bored of Rangers fans and their ****ing tiresome "Aye but..." to try and distract from the issue. From rioting in Manchester to singing sectarian songs and being done by UEFA the Rangers typical response is to blurb "Aye but..." and "It wiznae us...". It's about time Rangers football club took responsibility for the actions of their fans and stopped making excuses and blaming everyone else. I now look forward to being called stereorapist by the always lucid and perspicacious poster known as EDGE.
Someone has been arrested, as far as I know, no charges as yet, we don't know **** all about them, they could be African for all you know. Thank me later
Edge, They have been charged (under the Explosive Substances Act) and are due in court today. There is also a photograph of Neil McKenzie in today's Scotsman. Surprisingly he's not an afro-caribbean news reader, he's a white man pictured wearing a Rangers strip. Make of that what you will.
On the contrary, though disappointed that he seems to be a Rangers fan, I'm glad that the prick has been caught and I hope he gets bumraped by and AIDS ridden Celtic fan. IF he's found guilty of course. ****ing arsehole
Heard a rumour that the police have advised a certain football club not to comment on rumours that the two arrested yesterday are season ticket holders?
Has Girvan been on since yesterday? Whatever happened to the pricks who where arrested just before the last OF game?
