Neil Lennon sent Bullets in the post

everdead.ie

Just watching Sky sports news and they are saying Neil Lennon Celtic Manager has been sent bullets in the post, I had recently thought that sectarianism had receded in recent years yet this is undoubtedly something that is totally over the top and the senders needs to be put in jail for this absolutely shocking stuff.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jan/09/berwick-rangers-celtic-scottish-cup

Neil Lennon refused to comment after news emerged that a package containing bullets, addressed to Celtic's manager at the club's Parkhead stadium, was intercepted in Northern Ireland last week.

Two parcels – the other addressed to Celtic's Northern Irish winger Niall McGinn – were reported as suspicious at a Royal Mail sorting office in Mallusk, County Antrim and subsequently taken for examination. Police are investigating the affair, which came to light on Wednesday, three days after Celtic defeated Rangers.

"I don't want to comment on that," said Lennon when asked after his team's 2-0 Scottish Cup win over Berwick Rangers. A Celtic statement added: "It is now a police matter and the club has no further comment to make."

Lennon, who hails from Lurgan, County Armagh, has been the subject of death threats in the past, including when he was captain of Northern Ireland. He retired from international football after a 2002 threat, made before a game against Cyprus. In September 2008, Lennon was attacked in a Glasgow street. Throughout his time as a Celtic midfielder and captain, he remained a high-profile figure.

McGinn moved to Celtic from Derry City and has 10 Northern Ireland caps. He has seldom been in the spotlight at all during two years in Scotland. The 23-year-old was not part of Celtic's 16-man squad in Berwick, with no explanation offered.

Freddie Ljungberg made his debut in the tie, the former Arsenal player lasting 65 minutes in somewhat primitive surroundings as he looks to build up his match fitness.

"I was told what it would be like here," said Ljungberg of the Division Three team's Shielfield Park. "That's part of being a football player. You are not always going to get big stands and a nice pitch. I just wanted to go out and play football again."

Ljungberg showed some neat touches but little else, which is understandable, since he last played for Chicago Fire in October. "It was difficult for Freddie," said Lennon. "It was pretty congested out there but those minutes will have done him the world of good."

The contributions of Daniel Majstorovic and Scott Brown were more crucial, their goals in each half dismissing any notion of an upset. The closest Berwick came to troubling their Premier League visitors was within the opening two minutes, when Charlie Mulgrew almost conceded a penalty in a challenge on Steven Notman.

citytillidie

Also Niall McGinn happened just after the Rangers game last week

Ebbs

Some people need to grow up.

This is Football, not religion or politics.

sonic85

disgusting stuff but i doubt this kind of thing will ever be stamped out. what kind of mindset do these people have?

Paully D

Why would someone send him sweets in the post?

Seriously though, that's shocking and not the first time Lennon has had threats made against him.

Mr.Crinklewood

Tip offs from Meryseyside have named the culprit...mods delete if inappropriate.

everdead.ie

Mr.Crinklewood wrote: »

Tip offs from Meryseyside have named the culprit.

Police have apparently confirmed the post came from Northern Ireland

Otis Driftwood

Id say at this stage with Lennon its water off a ducks back.Doesnt make it any less disgusting though.As Sonic said above,its one of those things that will unlikely to ever be fully stamped out,in our lifetime at least.

Bounty Hunter

pedantic i know but there is something wrong with me and its driving me mad just seing the thread title... can you edit it so his name is Neil not Niel.


on topic: I'd assume its just 1/2 isolated simpeltons who deserve to get caught by the cops but just having to see this in this day and age is very sad indeed

starbelgrade

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

pedantic i know but there is something wrong with me and its driving me mad just seing the thread title... can you edit it so his name is Neil not Niel.


on topic: I'd assume its just 1/2 isolated simpeltons who deserve to get caught by the cops but just having to see this in this day and age is very sad indeed

If you're that pedantic, how come you don't use capital letters at the start of sentences?

IvySlayer

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

pedantic i know but there is something wrong with me and its driving me mad just seing the thread title... can you edit it so his name is Neil not Niel.


on topic: I'd assume its just 1/2 isolated simpeltons who deserve to get caught by the cops but just having to see this in this day and age is very sad indeed

im speling wrods wrngly to anoy you :P


I'll never get the mentality of some fans. Some are just more interested in being a thug than watching the game.

Mr. Presentable

Better in the post than how bullets are usually delivered.

Dempsey

Nothing like a good thumping of Rangers at Ibrox to bring out the idiots!

Water off a ducks back for Lennon and no doubt he'll have spoken to McGinn so it will be water off his back too.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Pathetic from some cowardly fans. I doubt who ever sent those bullets would actaully have the balls to shoot anyone, never mind such a high-profile figure. I'm sure Mr. Lennon is losing no sleep over this.

A Dub in Glasgo

Bullets in the post is so cheapish, different story if they put a horse's head in his bed

PARKHEAD67

Dempsey wrote: »

Nothing like a good thumping of Rangers at Ibrox to bring out the idiots!

Water off a ducks back for Lennon and no doubt he'll have spoken to McGinn so it will be water off his back too.

True.Lennons seen it all before.But why Mcginn, and not McCourt?Anyway, what a cowardly scumbag thing to do.

A Dub in Glasgo

PARKHEAD67 wrote: »

True.Lennons seen it all before.But why Mcginn, and not McCourt?Anyway, what a cowardly scumbag thing to do.

They couldn't get themselves to write Paddy!

citytillidie

PARKHEAD67 wrote: »

True.Lennons seen it all before.But why Mcginn, and not McCourt?Anyway, what a cowardly scumbag thing to do.

Since Worthington bearly picks him they might not know that McCourt plays for Northern Ireland

Wolfe Tone

This is absolutely retarded, hope the scum who did it get found out.


As for McGinn, he is from Derry right?(Im not too sure, I dont have much interest in the SPL) and elected to play for NI rather than ROI. So there would be issues because of that, viewed perhaps as a traitor by certain elements on both sides of the political divide.

citytillidie

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

This is absolutely retarded, hope the scum who did it get found out.


As for McGinn, he is from Derry right?(Im not too sure, I dont have much interest in the SPL) and elected to play for NI rather than ROI. So there would be issues because of that, viewed perhaps as a traitor by certain elements on both sides of the political divide.

Nah he is from Donaghmore in Tyrone just played for Derry City

PARKHEAD67

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

They couldn't get themselves to write Paddy!

PARKHEAD67

citytillidie wrote: »

Since Worthington bearly picks him they might not know that McCourt plays for Northern Ireland

True that. Much more skilful players at his disposal-e.g. Kyle laugherty;)

KeithAFC

Bad news to hear.

steo87

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

Bullets in the post is so cheapish, different story if they put a horse's head in his bed

True :pac:
Just out of interest do you get to go to the Celtic matches much? Working at them myself so the only way I'd get to go is if I pull a sickie!

Bounty Hunter

starbelgrade wrote: »

If you're that pedantic, how come you don't use capital letters at the start of sentences?

Cos it was 4am here and my brain wasnt functioning properly tbh, atleast i pointed out I was being pedantic.

Its extremely sad but id actually agree with Nedtheshed and say that unfortunatley I can imagine this not affecting Lennon too much because he is somewhat used to retarded bigotry of this kind. Almost impossible to stamp out becuase there is no quick cure to idiocy but i hoppe whoever did this is caught and make an example of

Eirebear

Shocking stuff.

I mean using official RFC sanctioned bullets engraved with the club's crest was a silly move right away! :rolleyes:

M5

What an absolute moron, should be euthanised for contaminating the gene pool

A Dub in Glasgo

steo87 wrote: »

True :pac:
Just out of interest do you get to go to the Celtic matches much? Working at them myself so the only way I'd get to go is if I pull a sickie!

Not very often now, I used to have a season ticket but I did not renew 5 years ago when I got made redundant. Sometimes I miss it though.

OhNoYouDidn't

Graham Spiers
January 11 2011 12:01AM

Bullets in the post are just the latest cause for concern for the Celtic manager as he battles the extremes in the Scottish game

I asked Neil Lennon recently how much, in truth, he had enjoyed his ten years in Glasgow since first signing for Celtic under Martin O’Neill as a player in 2000. “I do enjoy it, very much,” he replied. “But it has reached the stage where I have to be a bit more careful.”

In recent days Lennon has had further cause to be “a bit more careful” in his eventful life embroiled in the Old Firm drama. Police in Northern Ireland have confirmed that they intercepted a package in Belfast containing bullets, which was bound for Lennon and Niall McGinn, Celtic’s Northern Ireland international, in Glasgow.

Lennon, not for a first time, has sought to play down the incident.

No Old Firm figure of recent times has so crystallised the debate about Celtic, Rangers and life in the west of Scotland as Lennon. From the moment the Northern Irish Catholic signed for Celtic, trouble has flared around him, usually with a distinct sectarian whiff about it.

Lennon has suffered death threats, twice been assaulted on a Glasgow street and woke up one morning to find the words “Neil Lennon: RIP” daubed on the road outside his home in the plush west end of Glasgow.

Frankly, the fuss of the death threat that he received in August 2002 in Belfast before a match between Northern Ireland and Cyprus, which ended his international career, has sometimes paled compared to later episodes in his life as a Celtic player.

The very figure of Lennon provokes extreme love and hate on both sides of the sectarian-tainted Old Firm divide. He is adored by the Celtic faithful, in part because, like O’Neill before him, he ticks all the boxes of the traditional (and sometimes mythical) Celtic narrative: he is Irish, Catholic, and a self-confessed socio-political underdog by upbringing. Such traits are enough to reduce some Celtic supporters to tears in their admiration.

But the Glasgow coin has another, darker side. The more extreme elements of the Rangers support detest Lennon and, fuelled by the vitriolic open-season that is the internet, they let him have it from both barrels almost on a daily basis.

On certain Rangers fans’ message boards there is a riot of bile and poison aimed at Lennon that, were it ever to appear in more public prints such as newspapers, would lead to shut-downs and swift defamation actions. What Lennon has done in much of this is to hold up a mirror showing a very ugly image in the face of west of Scotland society. He does not actually lie awake at night worrying about it all. Indeed, in his street-wise, self-assured way, he is not averse to seeing the funny or ludicrous side to some of it.

One of the most amusing stories he told against himself was when he was the victim of assault by two students — one studying law, the other studying medicine — in Glasgow in 2003. Of his two assailants leaping on him, and the punches between the three starting to fly, Lennon recalled: “I remember lying on the ground trying to fight off these guys, with cars and buses happily rolling by — nobody seemed to be batting an eyelid at it.”

Both students were subsequently convicted for assault, though Lennon was keen to write a letter to Glasgow University, which was said to be threatening to discipline the pair, asking for leniency.

In a much more menacing episode in 2009, he was attacked outside a Glasgow pub, and this time Lennon was taken to hospital in quite a bad way. “I don’t mind admitting it — I got quite a doing,” he told me the next day. On that occasion his assailant was sent to prison.

One of the more regrettable lines quite often spouted by those who seek to play down or minimise the sectarian implications of these incidents is that Lennon “asks for it” or is “a cocky sod” or is “a mouthy character who gets what he deserves”. These are strange reactions to produce in the face of such obvious and startling evidence.

A young Graeme Souness, when he was manager of Rangers at a similar age to Lennon now, was swaggering, self-assured and had quite a bit of arrogance and “lip” about him. But Souness was not issued with death threats, or made the subject of such public hatred, or assaulted in the streets in this manner.

It is true that Lennon is no angel — he grew up in Lurgan and has always had to know how to look after himself. But the fact is that Lennon embodies the very thing that some residual bigots in Scottish society and Scottish football cannot stand: a visible, vocal and successful Irish Catholic who doesn’t shirk from anything. This is too much for some to bear.

At an increasingly dark Shielfield Park on Sunday night, where Lennon and Celtic survived a potential Scottish Cup banana skin by beating Berwick Rangers 2-0, John Reid, the Celtic chairman and former British home secretary, was waiting to put an arm around his club manager, given the news that had just filtered through about the package of bullets in the post.

Reid adores Lennon, and both men stand in the Celtic tradition, but Reid also knows what the Celtic manager sometimes has to put up with.

For good measure, as the Celtic bus pulled out of Shielfield to head home to Glasgow, a bottle was thrown that smashed against its front windscreen.

tonycascarino

Paddy McCourt hasn't been left out afterall.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12168533

DOC09UNAM

Wouldn't be the first famous Lennon to come into contact with a bullet would he.

PauloMN

Just so Paddy doesn't feel left out:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-12169869

edit: sorry TonyC, hadn't read your post - awful habit of reading from the last post back in threads :-(

OhNoYouDidn't

It struck me in all this how little a fuss is being made of it. If this was an EPL manager or players, the world would go bananas.

It seems that there is an acceptance that Celtic players, especially Irish ones and even more especially those from the nationalist community in the north, just have to put up with racist and sectarian threats. It has somehow become part and parcel of their lives.

Its not an Irish problem. Its not a Nothern Irish problem. Its a Rangers problem.

Dempsey

tonycascarino wrote: »

Paddy McCourt hasn't been left out afterall.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12168533

Paddy sent them to himself, not getting a death threat hurts his image!! :pac:

I am pie

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Its not an Irish problem. Its not a Nothern Irish problem. Its a Rangers problem.

First off, posting bullets to any player is disgusting and should be condemned, this condemnation should be shouted from the rooftops. I'd like to see all political parties in NI (assuming the report is correct the scumbags hail from there) publicallycondemn these actions.

Tell us, what could Rangers do to prevent this ?

I don't follow the SPL but am wondering whether you are using this as a stick to beat Rangers with, i think we should acknowledge this is a societal problem. Although progress has been made in the North, sectarianism still exists and can manifest itself in ugly ways, i.e. posting bullets to catholic players. If a football club could solve those problems they would have a few Nobel prizes in their trophy cabinet rather than cups !

I am pie

Checked the press (story covered in all Irish and Scottish press that i could find) and NI politicians have thankfully condemned these vile actions.

Mitch Connor

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Its not an Irish problem. Its not a Nothern Irish problem. Its a Rangers problem.

How the hell do you come to those conclusions?

OhNoYouDidn't

I am pie wrote: »

First off, posting bullets to any player is disgusting and should be condemned, this condemnation should be shouted from the rooftops. I'd like to see all political parties in NI (assuming the report is correct the scumbags hail from there) publicallycondemn these actions.

I'm sure they have, but the point is that its small news compared to what it should be. Imagine the BNP posted bullets to black or asian players in England?

I am pie wrote: »

Tell us, what could Rangers do to prevent this ?

I don't follow the SPL but am wondering whether you are using this as a stick to beat Rangers with, i think we should acknowledge this is a societal problem. Although progress has been made in the North, sectarianism still exists and can manifest itself in ugly ways, i.e. posting bullets to catholic players. If a football club could solve those problems they would have a few Nobel prizes in their trophy cabinet rather than cups !

Change the bigoted culture of the club. Rangers pander to these neanderthals. Prime example is refusing to ban certain songs that have been legally classed as racist and an offence. But its not a stadium offence to sing them. Thats not only logically fallacious, it sends a powerful signal. In contrast, Celtic banned all rebel songs in the 1990's and enforce it with fire.

Orange away shirts, the red trimming on their socks (up to our knees in Fenian blood), refusing to condemn their fans nazi salutes in Israel, still never having played a Catholic from this island, criticising certain match officials on the basis of their Irish surnames etc etc

They are positioned as the sporting wing of the UDA. They can't then put their hands up when some apes start acting like this and say they have nothing to do with it.

OhNoYouDidn't

Mitch Connor wrote: »

How the hell do you come to those conclusions?

Fans of no other club send bullets to people based on race. Anywhere.

OhNoYouDidn't

Just to be clear here, I'm not calling for Rangers FC to be fined by UEFA or anything. They aren't responsible at that level.

I cannot think of any other club who pander to the base level of their support like they do. Some Italian clubs used to have a dodgy relationship with their Ultras groups, but those days are long gone.

I am pie

"...I'm sure they have, but the point is that its small news compared to what it should be. Imagine the BNP posted bullets to black or asian players in England?.."

I don't see your point. It was covered in literally every national newspaper online site I checked. I'm not sure what more you expect ? The coverage, as per all news, is proportional to the interest in the story. If you're accusing the press of ignoring this you are significantly wide of the mark.

"..Fans of no other club send bullets to people based on race. Anywhere..."

This is a sectarian, not religious issue. Inexcusable nonetheless.


"..Prime example is refusing to ban certain songs ..."

Which songs, as I said i don't follow SPL, only Liverpool for me (sadly!).

Your comments about the colour red and orange are incredibly spurious. You're looking for reasons to be upset there. Like it or not Rangers are associated with the red white and blue 'British' tradition and also the 'Orange' irish tradition. You are making links between these colours and violence, which is entirely your perogative but not one the multitude of people who associate themselves with these traditions would share. Catholic players have played for Rangers, and indeed Scottish ones. That no Irish catholic has played for rangers is really an issue for Irish catholics ? Out of interest do many protestant Irish players play for Celtic ? Some, not many i'm guessing. Unfortunately that is the nature of the beast, SPL football has sectarian delineation in Glasgow.

Don't know the background to the Nazi salutes, or criticism of ref's.

To suggest that Rangers are the sporting wing of the UDA is pretty disgraceful. If you really equate a football team to murderous paramilitary organisation you ought to give some considersation to your wayward sense of perspective. I grew up in Belfast and can assure you there is vast difference.

In short, cop yourself on.

Eirebear

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Its not an Irish problem. Its not a Nothern Irish problem. Its a Rangers problem.

You sir, have lost the plot entirely.

steelcityblues

Anyone else remember that documentary on Gazza on Channel 4 years ago about his first season at Rangers?

In his first few weeks there, he mentions that he naively decided to wear a green suit to a city nightclub and was later 'warned' by both fans and team mates not to go out in public wearing that colour again.

Just an example of the ridiculous base levels of sectarianism that exist with so called supporters of both clubs to this day. Don't think it will ever entirely go away.

Wish Lennon and the Celtic players all the protection in the world from now on.

OhNoYouDidn't

I am pie wrote: »

I don't see your point. It was covered in literally every national newspaper online site I checked. I'm not sure what more you expect ? The coverage, as per all news, is proportional to the interest in the story. If you're accusing the press of ignoring this you are significantly wide of the mark.

I'm not saying they ignored it. But if it was in England, it would be front page news.

I am pie wrote: »

This is a sectarian, not religious issue. Inexcusable nonetheless.

How is sectarian not religious?

I am pie wrote: »

Which songs, as I said i don't follow SPL, only Liverpool for me (sadly!).

The Billy Boys, the Famine Song, the Bouncy Song etc.

I am pie wrote: »

Your comments about the colour red and orange are incredibly spurious. You're looking for reasons to be upset there. Like it or not Rangers are associated with the red white and blue 'British' tradition and also the 'Orange' irish tradition. You are making links between these colours and violence, which is entirely your perogative but not one the multitude of people who associate themselves with these traditions would share.

I'm not associating colours, or the traditions associated with them, with violence. I am saying orange shirts and fenian blood trim send out a message about the culture of a club.

I am pie wrote: »

Catholic players have played for Rangers, and indeed Scottish ones. That no Irish catholic has played for rangers is really an issue for Irish catholics ? Out of interest do many protestant Irish players play for Celtic ? Some, not many i'm guessing. Unfortunately that is the nature of the beast, SPL football has sectarian delineation in Glasgow.

Rangers first played a Catholic in the 1980's after removing their rule banning them. Celtic never had a rule, and some of their best players have been Protestant.

I have no idea have any Irish Protestants played for Celtic. A players religion is not noted at the club.

I am pie wrote: »

To suggest that Rangers are the sporting wing of the UDA is pretty disgraceful. If you really equate a football team to murderous paramilitary organisation you ought to give some considersation to your wayward sense of perspective. I grew up in Belfast and can assure you there is vast difference.

In short, cop yourself on.[/QUOTE]

Rangers cannot market themselves as a Loyalist club, allow Loyalist and Orange nights in the stadium, refuse to take action on Loyalist songs sung in theri ground that are banned by law, allow Loyalist paramilitary and far right literature be sold at the stadium and then be shocked when some Loyalist nutter takes it too far in their name.

OhNoYouDidn't

steelcityblues wrote: »

Anyone else remember that documentary on Gazza on Channel 4 years ago about his first season at Rangers?

In his first few weeks there, he mentions that he naively decided to wear a green suit to a city nightclub and was later 'warned' by both fans and team mates not to go out in public wearing that colour again.

Just an example of the ridiculous base levels of sectarianism that exist with so called supporters of both clubs to this day. Don't think it will ever entirely go away.

Wish Lennon and the Celtic players all the protection in the world from now on.

Can you give me a similar example of that sort of thing in the Celtic half of the equation?

steelcityblues

Didn't that referee (Collum?) receive threatening phone calls after the first Old Firm match of this season, which Rangers won.

Hope you are not suggesting that the only idiots come from the Rangers side.

3hn2givr7mx1sc

steelcityblues wrote: »

Didn't that referee (Collum?) receive threatening phone calls after the first Old Firm match of this season, which Rangers won.

Hope you are not suggesting that the only idiots come from the Rangers side.

That was for his refereeing, not his religion afaik.

steelcityblues

baz2009 wrote: »

That was for his refereeing, not his religion afaik.

Threats are threats though!

3hn2givr7mx1sc

steelcityblues wrote: »

Threats are threats though!

Yeah, totally agree there.
But at least there was some substance to Celtic's fans' threats rather than them believing in a different type of Christianity to Rangers. I'd say less than half of the regulars at Celtic Park even go to mass, tbh.

Eirebear

baz2009 wrote: »

That was for his refereeing, not his religion afaik.

I'm sorry, are we now saying that referees have recieved threats from Rangers fans?


I love the way people believe the utter horse **** that people like ONYD put out there.
"Fenian Blood Trimming" - thats an absolute belter. Have you heard of a place called Govan ONYD? Rangers happen to have rather strong connection to the area...oh an what's this? The colours of that are happen to be Red and Black? get out of here!

There has never been an Irish Catholic playing for Rangers - whats your point? There has never been a Chinese Buddhist either.
You seem to forget, Celtic are the so called Irish club, not Rangers.

of course the attitude in ireland doesnt help either -
http://www.drogheda-independent.ie/frontpage/sectarian-fear-of-rangers-trial-for-local-17-628418.html

Having a go at a referee because of his name? How many times do we need to go through this one?
For anyone who hasnt read the comments that Walter Smith made, here it is.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/2008/11/13/rangers-boss-walter-smith-blasts-linesman-over-offside-blunder-86908-20891037/

Now please, for the love of god can anyone tell me where Smith has a go at Murphy "Because of his name"?

ONYD - your exageration, hyperbole and downright lies are nothing but boring now.
You honestly need to get out more.

The bullets in the post to Lennon, McCourt and McGinn is disgusting, but rather than decry it for what it is you seem to see some opportunity to spread your hatred and vitriolic rumours to a largely unsuspecting people who you seem to feel the need to convert to supporting celtic, or rather hating Rangers.

I really feel for you and your sad little hate filled life, i hope one day you find an antidote to all that anger you feel, because it cannot be healthy for anyone.

3hn2givr7mx1sc

Eirebear wrote: »

I'm sorry, are we now saying that referees have recieved threats from Rangers fans?

WTF are you on about? Read the post I quoted again before you lose the rag.

I hope to God you're not putting me in the same bracket as ONYD. I disagree with 99% of the shíte he posts. Including this thread.