UK Edition
Neil Lennon: 'Rangers fans abuse me because they fear me'
The mere sight of Neil Lennon at the side of a football pitch has been sufficient to provoke responses so extreme that they have constituted serious risk – witness the assault by a spectator at Tynecastle in 2011 in his first spell as Celtic manager and again when he was struck on the face by a coin at the same ground while in charge of Hibernian during the Edinburgh derby last Halloween.
In the aftermath of the latter incident, Lennon was visibly angered by suggestions that he “brings it on himself” by his public utterances and animated demeanour – one such critic was former Celtic defender Gary Caldwell – and he retorted with the irreproachable fact that no such violent attention was directed at him during his spells in England with Manchester City, Crewe Alexandra, Leicester City, Nottingham Forest or Wycombe.
No dispassionate observer can avoid the conclusion that the Northern Irishman has been the subject of sectarian abuse peculiar to his homeland and also parts of Scotland but, ahead of the fourth and final Old Firm derby of the season at Ibrox tomorrow, Lennon made a potent claim based on the experience of his playing days.
When asked if he got a kick from being the object of execration by the Rangers support, he said: “I’d much prefer to be playing, but do you get a kick out of it? Yeah, you do – because they fear you. That’s why you get all the abuse. If I was just a run-of-the-mill player, they would just disregard me. I think there is a certain element of fear within them when it comes to me.”
Nor did Lennon hold back on the vexatious topic of a guard of honour in recognition of Celtic’s status as Scottish champions for the eighth successive season. Rangers this week rejected the notion that they would applaud their arch-foes on to the field at Ibrox and, although Steven Gerrard described his own thoughts on the subject as “not important”, Lennon was not inclined to be emollient.
“It’s a break from tradition but it’s not a major issue. It would have been a touch of class if they did it. I’m disappointed they are not. Celtic would have done it,” he said, adding that the snub would not be used as a spur for his players.
“You don’t need any extra motivation for this game. We’ve had all the motivation for the last eight years and we are still going strong. You are the champions, so play like champions. That’s what I’m expecting from the team on Sunday.”
Aside from the usual attendant controversies – or diversions, depending on point of view – this season’s Old Firm collisions have been evenly contested, with Celtic winning 1-0 at home in September and repeating the feat with a 2-1 victory in March, while Rangers posted a merited success in the 29 December game at Ibrox.
The March episode of football’s most enduring schism was costly for Rangers in disciplinary terms, with red cards shown to Alfredo Morelos, Andy Halliday and Gerrard, with Ryan Kent cited subsequently and both sides fined £7,500 for the flare-up that occurred when the Ibrox contingent took exception to Scott Brown’s celebrations at full-time.
Morelos served a four-game ban and returned with an appearance off the bench in last Sunday’s home win over Hibs, but Allan McGregor is now suspended after a ludicrous incident which saw him plant a kick in the back of the Easter Road striker, Marc McNulty.
Needless to say, this accumulation of culpability was raised during Lennon’s media briefing. “It’s not my problem they have a huge disciplinary problem,” he said. “If it manifests itself again on Sunday then we will try to take advantage.”
Rangers cannot afford any recidivism if they are to inflict Celtic’s first domestic defeat of the year in front of a capacity crowd which – with the exception of 800 visiting fans – is ravenous for another home celebration.
Whatever the outcome, might we expect a new birth of civility? Opponents and their fans queuing to shake hands and exchange civilities? For an assessment of that possibility, one should refer to a much-used Glasgow admonition: “Aye – that’ll be right.”