NEIL LENNON has been subject to the vilest of abuse since landing in Scotland back in the early 2000s.
Death threats, having to retire playing for his country because he was told he would be shot on the field of play for being a Catholic and a Celtic player, bullets in the post, attacked in the street, attacked doing his job. The wrap sheet goes on and on.
However, there is one narrative that is pushed again and again by the people who want to sweep this type of behaviour under the carpet – ‘He Brings it on himself’ – What a load of f***ing shite!
You see managers all the time in different leagues, players too who will interact with the crowd and wind them up at times. None of them receives the abuse that Neil Lennon has put up with to this point. There are much more dark things at work here than just a simple dislike of a manager who continues to stand up for himself.
Neil Lennon is the embodiment of a successful, Irish Catholic in Scotland who will not stay in his lane or let things go unchallenged when he sees an injustice.
Gesturing a crowd to sit down does not warrant anyone throwing money at your head with intent to hurt – it just doesn’t.
Speaking at his press conference today, the Hibs boss backed up what his agent said on Superscoreboard last night and went one further.
“If a black man is abused, you are not just abusing the colour of his skin, you are abusing his culture, his heritage, his background.
“It’s the exact same when I get called a Fenian, a pauper, a beggar, a tarrier. And all I do is stand up for myself.”
Spot on Neil!
Welcome to 21st century sectarian Scotland.
Hear hear.
The racist behaviour which Neil has experienced is no different from that which occurred elsewhere on the planet e.g. South Africa, Nazi Germany, etc. Not surprisingly, for some reason this is not considered as such by the abusers or the corrupt officials and others in office who condone and even promote it.
Neil and his agent and supporters are overdue in calling this out for what it is. Racist bigotry of the first order.
Hail Hail