0% Villa: Lennon attacked during Hearts match

[Nev]

Lennon has always been something of lightning rod for the hatred of one side of the sectarian divide, when he played for the national side and now, as manager of Celtic.

He doesn't help matters by opening his gob on regular basis, but as has been pointed out, he is not the first to do that on either side of the border, but in this case things have taken a sinister turn off the field,never mnd what happened last night.

Fair play to Gary Parker for leaping upon the miscreant, thankfully he was close by, after watching him play for us all those years ago, speed was never his strong point.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

What is going on below the surface in Scotland generally ? Because there seem to be ongoing ugly incidents that we did not used to see as much.

Here is a country which has very clear sectarian divisions as does Northern Ireland, yet in comparision have been managed in near tranquility.  Right now they seem closer to breaking away politically from the rest of the United Kingdom than any other part, and that achieved without the organised anti- English voilent groupings you have had in Ireland and on a smaller scale Wales (sons of Glendwr). Perhaps as a country gets nearer to independence along a peaceful path (whether or not it reaches that point) differences that exist within bubble to the surface more than when it is part of a larger polical union ?

I remember sometime in the early 1990s a news report of particularly shocking crowd voilence at a Yugoslavian league game. This was reported purely in terms of fan voilence at football, the game was between teams from Serbia and Croatia. I am not for a moment suggesting Scotland is going to go up in flames like the Balkans did. But what is happening has very little to do with mere football allegiance or any particular antipathy merely towards Neil Lennon.

[nick harper]

Lennon does stoke things up on a regular basis to keep the pot bubbling away. He accused Hearts of not trying in their game against Rangers the previous weekend which is not the type of comment to make public a couple of days before your team are playing them.

One other comment that struck me on Radio 5 this morning was that the ball boys at the Celtic end had to be moved away due to the abuse and threatening behaviour they were experiencing. As others have said, it does feel like there is an undercurrent of something more sinister going on up there.

[UsualSuspect]

Having watched the incident I am shocked and horrified.


I mean the bloke in the shell suit didn't get any power behind his punch did he

[Lambert and Payne]

I've stopped giving a shite about Celtic since that banner. 

On that basis a dozen morons with A4 sheets of paper will be able to turn you against any club. It wasn't representative of the club or the vast majority of their supporters.

Its more to do with the club refusing to sell poppys, singing over minute silences, anti british songs etc

Lennon will always be a target, he stokes things up and acts like a complete and utter twat, whats gone on recentley is too much though

[Nev]

I've stopped giving a shite about Celtic since that banner. 

On that basis a dozen morons with A4 sheets of paper will be able to turn you against any club. It wasn't representative of the club or the vast majority of their supporters.

Its more to do with the club refusing to sell poppys, singing over minute silences, anti british songs etc

Lennon will always be a target, he stokes things up and acts like a complete and utter twat, whats gone on recentley is too much though

Like all sides of a divide such as this there are those who take the extreme point of view and their views must not be taken as a true representation of the majority view. From the Irish objectors to the forthcoming Queens visit, to the DUP councillor and his incendiary remarks regarding Sinn Fein last week and from the anti-british Celtic fans to the Rangers fans who claim delight in being "up to their knees in fenian blood".

Taking the actions and opinions of extemists as indicitaive of everyones view just fuels prejudice, suspicion and ultimately hatred.

[darren woolley]

He must have really wound people up for all this trouble stupid man he should just concentrate on football nothing else really.

[Nev]

He must have really wound people up for all this trouble stupid man he should just concentrate on football nothing else really.

So his comments were that bad, people have decided to make attempts on his life? He has certainly made some ill-advised comments but to claim the death threats, parcel bombs and bullets in the post are all his fault is a bit much.

[dave shelley]

In my humble opinion violence against anybody anywhere for any reason is wrong.

[Ger Regan]

He must have really wound people up for all this trouble stupid man he should just concentrate on football nothing else really.

What a stupid fucking comment. You're essentially saying that he deserved to have letter bombs, bullets etc. posted to him.

[Somniloquism]

Ugly scenes.

Could have been a lot worse if the Hearts fan didn't make a complete prat of himself and land on his arse.

Why is it always Lennon?

Watching it again it was only the action of the assistant (is that Alan Thompson?) who grabs the coat as he runs past that makes the guy fall to the ground like that.

[Dave Cooper please]

What is going on below the surface in Scotland generally ? Because there seem to be ongoing ugly incidents that we did not used to see as much.

I don't think there's a bigger picture here at all beyond the fact that two football clubs have a lot of utter arseholes that follow them.

[Ger Regan]

I don't think there's a bigger picture here at all beyond the fact that two football clubs have a lot of utter arseholes that follow them.

Bingo. Horrible clubs that should be shut and erased from memory. As I said before, their only reason for existing seems to be to antagonise the other side.

[MoetVillan]

You have to feel for the 95% of fans for Celtic and Rangers who are horrified with what is going on.  I have a number of good friends who are either Celtic or Rangers fans and the banter is generally something akin to us and Brum fans.  We like crowing over each other when we get the results (ok, its not as one sided for the Scots).  I just feel disappointed that a game that the whole world plays and loves keeps getting dragged into racial, religious or sexual orientation side issues.  No one deserves what Neil is going through, whatever you think of what he says or does

[TaxDodger]

When, as others have pointed out, you have two clubs with so many idiotic fans who hate each other so much, it doesn't help when you have a player/recently become manager who has spent the best part of the last ten years making stupid comments and generally stiring things. Obviously the attempted assault, bullets in the post etc.. is a complete disgrace and those involved deserve severe punishment, however it would help things a lot if Mr Lennon could use a bit of decorum once in a while.