GRAFFITI threatening to 'hang' former Celtic manager Neil Lennon has emerged as his agent called for action saying his client is being targeted for "sectarian abuse" because he is an Irish Catholic.
It emerged after Mr Lennon, the Hibs manager, was struck by a coin thrown from the crowd as Hearts had what would have been a stoppage-time winner disallowed in a competitive Edinburgh derby.
His agent Martin Reilly says Mr Lennon has suffered sectarian abuse "every single day of his life" and added: "There's nothing being done to protect him."
Mr Lennon was left in need of treatment after being targeted by someone in the crowd towards the end of a fiercely contested 0-0 draw at Tynecastle on Wednesday night.
Police are investigating the "mindless act of violence" and the 47-year-old has called for the supporter who hit him with the coin to be "singled out" and said he hoped he would be able to meet his assailant face-to-face.
In a similarly violent incident, Hearts goalkeeper Zdenek Zlamal was struck by an apparent attack from a supporter.
And after the game, a 25-year-old man was arrested and charged over an alleged assault on an assistant referee.
A spray-painted message situated in the Tynecastle area of Edinburgh, close to capital club Hearts, states 'Hang Neil Lennon'.
Lennon has previously been targeted at Tynecastle. In 2001, John Wilson was jailed for breach of the peace after he emerged from the stand and confronted the then Celtic boss at the side of the pitch.
The former Northern Ireland international retired from international football the following year after graffiti showing "RIP Neil Lennon" appeared alongside a hangman's noose.
Campaign groups from across the country have spoken out about the targeted attacks on the Northern Irishman.
Dave Scott of Nil by Mouth, Scotland's leading anti-sectarian charity, said: "Nothing screams ‘gutless moron’ like graffiti of this kind."
Mr Reilly said that he gets abuse "because he’s an Irish Catholic".
He said: "These are things that have ben going on in Neil's life for the best part of 18 years.
"Basically it is sectarianism abuse. It's basically racism and sectarianism is the same thing, it needs stamped out of Scottish football.
"Neil has been victimised with this. It's because he is Irish, he is Catholic, he played for Northern Ireland and he signed for Celtic. He had 39 games for Northern Ireland before he came to Celtic and wasn't abused once. As soon as he signed for Celtic the game started.
"He gets sectarian abuse every single day of his life. There is nothing being done to protect him.
"The fact is the governing bodies now have to really have a look at themselves and get round the table and get this sorted out. It is time to take out the sectariansim and get that out the game."
In 2004, Rangers fan Thomas Ferrie was fined £500 after hurling abuse at MrLennon duing a road rage attack on the then Celtic captain – who had a 12 year-old girl passenger in his car – on Glasgow's M8 motorway.
Four years later, he was assaulted in Glasgow’s Ashton Lane and treated in hospital after an Old Firm game. Jeffrey Carrigan and David Whitelaw were later jailed over the "cowardly" attack.
In 2014, Lennon was targeted by missile-throwing Aberdeen fans at Tynecastle when the then-Celtic manager and just last year a Rangers fan who made death threats against him narrowly avoided j ail.
Mr Reilly told Clyde 1: "He knows everywhere he goes, whether he goes out for a meal, or a beer he has to take precautions because he is going to get abused, he knows that.
"This is not about Celtic and Rangers here, it's society... every ground Neil Lennon goes to he will get abused, that's fact.
"He goes to Ibrox, he hasn't been attacked at Ibrox. A lot of the Rangers fans will give him a bit, and he will give a bit back. the real Rangers fans take it as banter and that's what it should be.
"He is anything but a villailn, he is a very professional guy, loves his job, every club he has been at he has worked himself ot the bone.
"To say he brings it on himself is nonsense. He reacts to things that are given to him. If he gets abused for ninety minutes, are you saying he can't cup his ears, or do an aeroplane. It is basically banter.
"People have a thing about Neil, they think he is this thug type character. They obviously don't know him. Neil Lennon is a very very intelligent man. He is a very good manager. And he is professional. I mean, very professional at what he does."
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