Today's Scotland on Sunday

[Martin Luther 53]

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NEIL LENNON'S furious father vowed last night to boycott Celtic Park after fans booed his son.

Gerry Lennon was stunned when he heard his boy being jeered on television during last week's UEFA Cup first leg semi-final draw with Boavista.

And speaking from his home in Lurgan yesterday he said: "Of course I was upset when I heard it on the TV.

"I've spoken to Neil and he knows how I felt. It was a disgrace.

"This is the only way I can make my own personal protest at Neil's treatment."

However Lennon Senior will not extend his stay away protest to all Celtic games.

He added: "I'm not going to home matches, but away games are absolutely different - that's where you get the real supporters and I don't feel there would be any problems."

Midfielder Lennon - who quit the Northern Ireland international set-up after receiving death threats - also broke his silence over his treatment from the fans.

He said: "I get booed at every other ground in Scotland so I suppose I might as well get booed here as well.

"I wasn't happy about it. I thought it was uncalled for and unjustified. I will forgive it in time, but it's hard to forget and I was very disappointed with it.

"My dad wasn't over for the game, but he was watching it on TV and he could hear what was going on.

"He was really upset and he told that he wouldn't be coming back to see me play at Parkhead because of what happened.

"He's obviously proud of me playing for Celtic and this has hurt my family more than me."

Lennon was slaughtered for passing the ball back to keeper Rab Douglas from the halfway line and boss Martin O'Neill was involved in a heated exchange with punters behind his dug-out as he begged for patience.

Lennon explained: "Boavista were sitting back and trying to break up our attacks, but you have to be a bit more patient in European football and try to move the ball around the park.

"When you open them up a little then that's the time to play the ball forward.

"At that level of football if you lose possession it can take a long time to win it back again, wheras domestically it isn't so difficult to do.

"The manager has come out and said his piece which was pleasing. It was big of him to do that because he didn't have to.

"I also got a good reception against Kilmarnock on Sunday which was nice and overall I enjoyed the game."

Lennon is singled out at every away ground in Scotland for abuse and he blamed the media for the treatment.

He shrugged: "I've no idea why I get that kind of reception at other grounds - I think a lot of it is to do with how I'm put across by the media.

"People try and make out that it's some sort of sectarian thing, but I certainly never had any problems when I first came up to Scotland.

"I am perceived through the press to be completely different to the person that I am."

Celtic fans' chief Peter Rafferty condemned the treatment of £6million man Lennon.

He said: "Fortunately it was a small minority of a 60,000 crowd. It was audible, but I'm glad to say nothing like the encouragement he got after it.

"There was a high level of expectation of this game and it put extra pressure on everyone."

Meanwhile Lennon joined in the Parkhead condemnation of the SPL's decision to schedule the final Old Firm game of the season for Sunday, April 27 - just 56 hours after the Hoops return leg against Boavista.

He added: "It's a slap in the face for the club, the players and the management after the efforts we've put in this season.

"Two clubs abstained from the vote which I found difficult to understand, but the whole thing smacks of hypocrisy."

[H72 265]

Fuck that cunt.

Neil Lennon is a disgrace to Scottish football. FUCK him.

[jimgers 565]

Aye he was really considerate and articulate when he was sending abusive Texts to his pregnant girlfriend. the man is a Rhat pure and simple and no amount of window dressing from his friends in the 'Celtic minded Mhedia' will change that.

[Ozblue 4,331]

I will never ever buy that paper again as long as I live and I will be encouraging everyone I know to do likewise

An article crammed with emotional clap trap, fake assumptions, half truths and downright lies

You really have to question the sanity and the motives of the author

He conveniently fails to explain why the supporters of almost every other club in Scotland despise Lennon

A quite pathetic piece of journalism pandering to the paranoia of the less intelligent amongst the support of Celtc FC

If EVERY Rangers supporter sent an email to the Editor stating that they will no longer buy that paper unless he ensures that from now on, impartiality from his so called 'Journalists', will be enforced, just wait till you see them fuckin shit themselves.

[Turnberry18 3,204]

If EVERY Rangers supporter sent an email to the Editor stating that they will no longer buy that paper unless he ensures that from now on, impartiality from his so called 'Journalists', will be enforced, just wait till you see them fuckin shit themselves.

I like that talk. We should also stop calling these people journalists, they are Celtic fans with typewriters.

[Carsons Dog 9,878]

If EVERY Rangers supporter sent an email to the Editor stating that they will no longer buy that paper unless he ensures that from now on, impartiality from his so called 'Journalists', will be enforced, just wait till you see them fuckin shit themselves.

I've e-mailed every Bear in my address book encouraging them to boycott it and pass it on to everyone they know.

[SteveJ 743]

Not one member has mentioned the death threats - straight away, the defensive shutters are up and the newspaper is going to be boycotted.

Why can nobody understand that this guy has a family and regardless of how many snarls the guy makes towards Rangers men, his five year old son, wife, mother and father do not deserve to live their life in fear?

The death threat that forced him out of the NI team was, in my opinion, a real threat and he did the right thing but these fannies who think they are hard as nails by sending bullets to the Lennon household, should be found and booted from the Ibrox family. All they are doing is making a kid fear for his father or his own life, whilst making Rangers FC appear to have sectarian fans who have targetted a Roman Catholic for being a Celtic manager.

Yes the guy is an arse and clearly hates everything Rangers but nobody is bigger than Rangers FC and therefore, nobody should bring our club into disrepute because of him.

[Ozblue 4,331]

I like that talk. We should also stop calling these people journalists, they are Celtic fans with typewriters.

'The Scotsman' newspaper is owned by Johnston Press who are based in Edinburgh, and the Editor is a certain John McLellan.

Interestingly, Johnston Press are the second largest local newspaper publishers in the UK,and publish a massive range of papers in the UK, Isle of Man, and the Republic of Ireland.

So putting an embargo on 'The Scotsman' might not hurt the company too much financially, but it might shake the editor up a bit if it could cost him his job due to decreasing sales.

It's ironic that all this stuff comes out in a Newspaper about pyoor wee scrote face, when the parent company who owns said newspaper also publishes a daily rhag entitled....

'The Lurgan Mail'.

If I lived in Scotland, I'd hand out posters to every Rangers fan in the country to show their disgust about the prat who wrote that article, and boycott ALL newspapers published by this company.

[Carsons Dog 9,878]

Not one member has mentioned the death threats - straight away, the defensive shutters are up and the newspaper is going to be boycotted.

Why can nobody understand that this guy has a family and regardless of how many snarls the guy makes towards Rangers men, his five year old son, wife, mother and father do not deserve to live their life in fear?

The death threat that forced him out of the NI team was, in my opinion, a real threat and he did the right thing but these fannies who think they are hard as nails by sending bullets to the Lennon household, should be found and booted from the Ibrox family. All they are doing is making a kid fear for his father or his own life, whilst making Rangers FC appear to have sectarian fans who have targetted a Roman Catholic for being a Celtic manager.

Yes the guy is an arse and clearly hates everything Rangers but nobody is bigger than Rangers FC and therefore, nobody should bring our club into disrepute because of him.

So it was Rangers fans who sent him the bullets etc?

Well done Sherlock -maybe you could let the cops know their season ticket numbers.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,685]

He's just another arm of the pr from the breezeblock midden. It's great isn't it he gets paid by Scotland on Sunday to spin for celtic football club. And to be quite honest I really can't be bothered to read this load of long winded bheggar hype and pontification on a Sottish Protestant Sunday morning.

[GOAT 30,449]

How come Paddy McCourt doesn't get the same level of hatred aimed at him?

[SteveJ 743]

So it was Rangers fans who sent him the bullets etc?

Well done Sherlock -maybe you could let the cops know their season ticket numbers.

Head in sand!

[Carsons Dog 9,878]

Head in sand!

You said it was "The Ibrox family"

Maybe you could get on to Govan polis and let them know who it is - i'm sure they would be interested to hear from you.

[GOAT 30,449]

Neil Lennon was never targetted by Rangers supporters by death threats in his life.

Lennon was targetted by the LVF for being the captain of the national team of Northern Ireland and admitting he didn't want to captain them, but would have preferred to have captained a team from Dublin.

[Ozblue 4,331]

Not one member has mentioned the death threats - straight away, the defensive shutters are up and the newspaper is going to be boycotted.

Why can nobody understand that this guy has a family and regardless of how many snarls the guy makes towards Rangers men, his five year old son, wife, mother and father do not deserve to live their life in fear?

The death threat that forced him out of the NI team was, in my opinion, a real threat and he did the right thing but these fannies who think they are hard as nails by sending bullets to the Lennon household, should be found and booted from the Ibrox family. All they are doing is making a kid fear for his father or his own life, whilst making Rangers FC appear to have sectarian fans who have targetted a Roman Catholic for being a Celtic manager.

Yes the guy is an arse and clearly hates everything Rangers but nobody is bigger than Rangers FC and therefore, nobody should bring our club into disrepute because of him.

Fuckin death threats?

Please explain why death threats have ANYTHING to do with Rangers FC?

If you can prove these so called death threats, then pick up the phone and call the police and give your evidence...Simple!

This has fuck all to do with alleged death threats! This has to do with a self confessed Celtic fan, who apparently wrote for a publication beloved by the filth, who has slandered the name of Rangers football club.

If you think that not doing anything about it is the way to behave as a Rangers supporter when your club is dragged through the glaur and shite, in a newspaper that's supposed to be the voice of Scotland, then that's your prerogative.

I'm fucked if I would sit back and watch our club be shafted by a bigot like that fucker, and do fuck all about it.

[blueballss 2,972]

no because he is a gobshite cunt

[SteveJ 743]

You said it was "The Ibrox family"

Maybe you could get on to Govan polis and let them know who it is - i'm sure they would be interested to hear from you.

I tell you something - if I knew who it was and they were Rangers fans, I WOULD.

There is no room at Ibrox for people who send bullets to a household that has kids in it - in my opinion.

[dummiesoot 16,057]

Yet again rangers fans are guilty of this stuff yet, let's be polite here ( never know who is reading) mr Lennon does not desrve these threats just as nacho novo or hugh Dallas or willie collum did not, however where is the evidence it is rangers fans that are doing this?

[jcb 1,167]

How come Paddy McCourt doesn't get the same level of hatred aimed at him?

Might be that PMC as well as being a talented player, seems to be a decent human being who doesn't try to play up to the rabid provo element in the Celtic support.

Just a hunch

[jcb 1,167]

I tell you something - if I knew who it was and they were Rangers fans, I WOULD.

There is no room at Ibrox for people who send bullets to a household that has kids in it - in my opinion.

Agree 100 %

[dukestreetsoup 69]

if lennon had any consideration for his 5 year old son and family he wouldnt be the manager of Celtic.

fuck them.

in response to the OP, fish and hook to all the people who are enraged by this.

its obviously there to wind people up.

angered response is what he is after, much better to just laugh at the stupidity.

[simon 1,744]

One sided nonsense. Poor Neil Lennon yet again.

[WVB 2,560]

Not one member has mentioned the death threats - straight away, the defensive shutters are up and the newspaper is going to be boycotted.

Why can nobody understand that this guy has a family and regardless of how many snarls the guy makes towards Rangers men, his five year old son, wife, mother and father do not deserve to live their life in fear?

The death threat that forced him out of the NI team was, in my opinion, a real threat and he did the right thing but these fannies who think they are hard as nails by sending bullets to the Lennon household, should be found and booted from the Ibrox family. All they are doing is making a kid fear for his father or his own life, whilst making Rangers FC appear to have sectarian fans who have targetted a Roman Catholic for being a Celtic manager.

Yes the guy is an arse and clearly hates everything Rangers but nobody is bigger than Rangers FC and therefore, nobody should bring our club into disrepute because of him.

What have Rangers got to do with this? When Celtic last had an RC manager, did these apparently sectarian fans of Rangers FC target Martin O'Neill? Maybe, just maybe, these alleged death threats are connected to the pregnant woman Lennon himself was threatening some time ago.

Regardless, anyone buying a newspaper should know better than to believe what they read, with the occasional exception of the TV guide. Pish spouted by a former selik spews employee shouldn't be given any credence.

For supposed Rangers fans to back this nonsense up is unbelievable.

[Carsons Dog 9,878]

I tell you something - if I knew who it was and they were Rangers fans, I WOULD.

There is no room at Ibrox for people who send bullets to a household that has kids in it - in my opinion.

I'm sure the Rangers fans started that earthquake in Japan as well - oh and all that bother in Lybia? - Rangers fans.

All clubs have scummy supporters - there is no evidence at all to suggest that Rangers supporters were responsible for the alleged bullets and the alleged nail bombs and the alleged threats.

The enduring image for me in all this was Lennon being escorted around a sealed, secure training ground at Lennoxtown in broad daylight in the middle of the day by a 'burly minder' for the benefit of the cameras.

Was the 'burly minder' there to jump on NL and save him in the event of an air strike?

The whole complex is secure and no one can get in - the 'burly minder' was all part of a photoshoot for the benefit of the PR machine.

No person and his family should suffer death threats but then again theres no club does victimhood like Celtc FC.

[BRITNEY IS NOT FEELING IT 8,293]

What a load of assumptions and blatent lies , did the writer of this article really used to be involved in the septic glue ( view)

imo I would dislike any other manager of a club that behaves /acts /courts controversy like lemmon , for talking sake if jim jefferey's (sp) had acted with the distain towards our club that lemmon has he would be afforded the same treatment that is being given to the septic coach , although imo the hearts manager although a born Scot does not have the same amount of anger/hate towards all thing's Rangers and although he does have his moments on the touchline like many other managers they pale into mere insignificance when compared to lemmon ,who as the main face of any club is an utter disgrace to himself his club and scottish football ,but the septic faithfull lap up and encourage his behaviour to no limits ,always cheated /never defeated