0% Villa: Lennon attacked during Hearts match

[TaxDodger]

Don't really like Lennon and I think he has brought a lot of this on himself, walking off at Ibrox goading the Rangers fans isn't a good idea. But that is bang out of order.

It's very difficult to turn the other cheek when the match occurs three days after you have received a parcel bomb and whilst walking off the pitch the aforementioned oh so friendly Rangers fans are singing 'What's it like to live in fear?'

Sitting here in work, with a Rangers fan by me, I have been asked to point out that "what's it like to live in fear" was never sung by the Rangers support that day and as he was there, he should know.

He's a good lad actually when I can understand what he is saying and he certainly doesn't condone what has happened to Lennon recently.   He goes with the general opinion though that he doesn't help himself much.

Could you ask him for a couple of examples?

Opened a can of worms now, thanks for that :-)

Story in paper about threatening to "do" his ex

Arrested on a night out with Celtic in Newcastle

40th Anniversary of Ibrox, wouldn't come out until minutes silence was over, after John Greig and Billy McNeill had led teams out.

He also spat on a Union flag during an old firm game at some point.

[Toronto Villa]

Lennon comes across as a bit of a twat, but even so it should never lead to some of the stuff that he has to deal with. It's football for fucks sake, and the issues in Scotland right now are far deeper than football. Football, especially between the big two is simply becoming a medium to vent anger at the social disorder and economic turmoil up there, let alone the sectarian divisions that have always existed. Something very bad is going to happen very soon, and it appears as though that day is getting closer with incidents like this.

Well there you go. You start by saying he comes across as a bit of a twat. How so?

comments, gestures that he's made as a player and manager. When you are at a club that has such an influence in society, way beyond football, then you have to act accordingly. He doesn't and he has brought a lot of this one himself. As I pointed out though, it still doesn't warrant being attacked from the stands or having bombs sent to his home.

[Lambert and Payne]

Don't really like Lennon and I think he has brought a lot of this on himself, walking off at Ibrox goading the Rangers fans isn't a good idea. But that is bang out of order.

It's very difficult to turn the other cheek when the match occurs three days after you have received a parcel bomb and whilst walking off the pitch the aforementioned oh so friendly Rangers fans are singing 'What's it like to live in fear?'

Sitting here in work, with a Rangers fan by me, I have been asked to point out that "what's it like to live in fear" was never sung by the Rangers support that day and as he was there, he should know.

He's a good lad actually when I can understand what he is saying and he certainly doesn't condone what has happened to Lennon recently.   He goes with the general opinion though that he doesn't help himself much.

Could you ask him for a couple of examples?

Opened a can of worms now, thanks for that :-)

Story in paper about threatening to "do" his ex

Arrested on a night out with Celtic in Newcastle

40th Anniversary of Ibrox, wouldn't come out until minutes silence was over, after John Greig and Billy McNeill had led teams out.

Pretty feeble examples really. He should be honest and let you know the real reason for the hatred. That is of course the fact that he was a current Northern Ireland international when he signed for Celtic.

Feeble excuses? Even the one about missing the minutes silence?

[Chris Jameson]

Are there any people who still want these two clubs to come and bring their own brands of stupidity and hatred to the Premiership?

[TaxDodger]

Are there any people who still want these two clubs to come and bring their own brands of stupidity and hatred to the Premiership?

Sky probably do. And idiots like Richard Scudamore.

[Toronto Villa]

Are there any people who still want these two clubs to come and bring their own brands of stupidity and hatred to the Premiership?

you know for a bit I thought it might make football generally a bit more interesting. I've completely done a 180 on that. Nothing would be worse. I'd take game 39 over that to be honest.

[Villa'Zawg]

I'm not sure why he didn't get out in time for the minutes silence, he said he was making his way out when it started so he decided to stand still and observe it where he was. He certainly couldn't have gone striding out when it had started.

I doubt it was deliberate seeing as the day before he said: "It was a huge tragedy and I hope and pray the minute's silence is observed with the respect it deserves. This isn't a football matter. This is about human beings and that puts everything else into perspective.

"I hope the ceremony is conducted with the dignity it deserves.

"It's not about football, it's a human issue concerning a tragedy and it's important those people who lost their lives are remembered."

He was immediately released without charge after the arrest and the threat to "do" his ex-girlfiend appears to have been in terms of you've done me by going to the papers and selling you story, now I'm going to do you.

Still, I suppose it does give them the fuel they need even if there isn't very much of it.

[Ger Regan]

Another bullet sent to him today.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Still, I suppose it does give them the fuel they need even if there isn't very much of it.

The press certainly have a lot to answer for, hopefully now they'll start acting a bit more responsibily. They certainly stirred it up before the Hearts game.

[DeKuip]

I've only just learned that he's been battling depression since 2000.

A few of us have been suffering depression since 2000. Mine came on about about this time of the year if I remember right!

[adrenachrome]

scotsman.com
The accompanying photos show how close this chap got; looks like ex Villain Alan Thompson came to the rescue in the nick of time.

Man charged over touchline attack on Celtic manager Neil Lennon

Published Date: 12 May 2011
By ALLAN MACKIE

A MAN appeared in court today over the attempted pitchside attack on Celtic manager Neil Lennon during last night's match at Tynecastle.

John Wilson, 26, from Edinburgh, was charged with breach of the peace aggravated by religious prejudice and assault aggravated by religious prejudice.

He appeared at a private hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court this afternoon. No plea or declaration was made during the hearing and he was remanded in custody.

He was arrested after he clambered over the barrier from the Hearts section of the main stand and charged towards the Celtic boss, who was on the touchline.

The manager, who has had to live with round-the-clock security after death threats in the past, was said to be "shaken" after the incident.

Last night's attempted attack happened after Celtic's Gary Hooper scored the Glasgow club's second goal.

The Glasgow side won the game 3-0 to keep their title hopes alive.

Late last night, the Celtic boss wrote on his Twitter page: "Don't let what happened to me tonight take the shine off a wonderful team performance... I don't walk alone."

A police spokesman said last night: "A number of incidents took place during this match, including some violent disorder.

"Lothian and Borders Police will fully investigate all of the incidents that occurred at the match this evening and will work closely with both football clubs and the SPL."

Meanwhile, two men have been detained by police in connection with an investigation into parcel bombs sent to Lennon and to two high-profile supporters of the club.

Two bombs were sent to Lennon and one each to lawyer Paul McBride QC and former MSP Trish Godman.

The men, aged 41 and 43, were detained under the Explosives Substances Act 1883 after officers raided a number of properties in Kilwinning, Ayrshire at 6am this morning.

In relation to the scenes at Tynecastle last night, Hearts and the SPL have launched investigations.

In a statement, Hearts said: "Hearts is a club which prides itself on its 'football for all' policy and these sorts of actions have no place in the game of football.

"We will give our full support to the stewards and police authorities in the ensuing investigation into the events at tonight's match."

SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We had a delegate at the game who will be giving us a detailed report on the incident. We will also be taking reports from the police and talking to both of the clubs.

"Clearly, this is something which needs to be investigated thoroughly and with urgency. That's exactly what will happen."

He said the incident was "wholly unacceptable" and "disgraceful".

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "This sort of behaviour is utterly unacceptable.

"The Joint Action Group formed after the recent football summit is developing the eight-point plan to present to ministers before the start of the new season to tackle all issues of violence and bigotry in relation to football, because we cannot have the safety of individuals endangered by such mindless incidents, and our national game tarnished."

After last night's attempted attack on Lennon, trouble flared in the Celtic section of the stadium, with fans appearing to fight with police and stewards.

[KevinGage]

Hearts saying the simpleton wasn't one of theirs, but then they would say that et.c.

[seanthevillan]

Didn't Lennon's problems in Northern Ireland start when he said that the two nations could/would end up playing as a united Ireland team? I'm sure it was something along those lines.

[KevinGage]

George Best said similar.

He didn't have to contend with death threats and bullets in the post.

[seanthevillan]

Well I think thats what caused the death threats originally, which then led to him retiring from international football. Is there any reason as to why its escalated in the last year? Maybe it just reflects a broader increase in loyalist/republican tension.