NEIL LENNON takes his Celtic side to Ibrox today and he’ll be expecting his usual reception from the Ibrox crowd. Let’s just say that it’s never been warm or friendly. And the Celtic manager has made quite an interesting point ahead of the trip across the city. He noted that the Rangers board offered their apologies to Steve Clarke, then the Kilmarnock manager and now the national team boss, when he suffered sectarian abuse from the Rangers support, yet the Ibrox board have remained silent on similar abuse suffered by Lennon.
And the Celtic manager reckons that the Ibrox board should say sorry to him – with no better time that today. Clarke was given the full ‘Cheer Up’ song with the F word that UEFA has deemed to be both racist and sectarian, back in February. The song was sung from all corners of the ground and Clarke was outspoken afterwards, forcing the media to mention the sectarian abuse that the Kilmarnock manager had suffered.
“It’s embarrassing, but then sometimes people turn a blind eye to it or go, ‘Och it is only him, he can deal with it’, Neil Lennon said to the media, as reported by Scottish Sun.
“But at the end of the day we are human beings. I think Rangers put a statement out after Steve Clarke got the abuse, but there was none forthcoming for me over the years. I find that interesting as well.”
Even with their well documented troubles with UEFA over the past few weeks – which really has put the SFA to shame – Neil Lennon does not expect any let up in the sectarian abuse he will be subjected to today. He knows that the best way to shut them up is to make sure that his Celtic side wins the match.
'You call it sectarianism in Scotland – I call it racism.' – Neil Lennon speaking last year on anti-catholic and Irish rhetoric. pic.twitter.com/pfBlVGMG80
— CeltsAreHere (@HereCelts) August 24, 2019
“It’s always been that way. It was ever thus. I can’t imagine that changing overnight or in three of four days.
“Yeah, you would like it to be. You don’t want it sanitised completely. But you want to strike a balance of there being a red-hot atmosphere without all the vitriol.”
Lennon, reflecting on how UEFA are tackling the problem or racism and sectarianism at Ibrox, reckons that it’s time for Scottish football to act too.
“I’ve been saying this for quite a while. I don’t know if this will embarrass anyone into dealing with it.”
The media have their role to play. They have to call out the sectarian songbook every time it is heard, starting today.
Here’s how today’s Sunday Mail is handling this story….
On tomorrow's Mail Sport back page, Celtic boss Neil Lennon blasts Scottish football chiefs and claims it’s embarrassing that UEFA had to step in over sectarianism. #scotpapers #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/6WOZ7v2jZU
— Sunday Mail Sport (@SundayMailSport) August 31, 2019
Also on The Celtic Star…
‘The ‘Rangers’ are mere pretenders, all they have is words,’ Niall J…see HERE.
