NEIL Lennon described anti-Catholic abuse he’s received in Scotland as racism and hit out at those who claim he’s brought any trouble on himself.
The Hibernian manager was struck on the head by a coin during Wednesday’s Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle, the latest in a long line of incidents the 47-year-old Northern Irishman has experienced since joining Celtic in 2000.
Lennon said: “There was graffiti before the game which said ‘Hang Neil Lennon’. Do I bring that on myself as the Hibs manager? Is there any reason why people would write that?
“For me, it’s racism. You call it sectarianism here but I call it racism. If a black person is abused, you’re abusing the colour of their skin, their culture and heritage and I get that more or less every week.
“I get called Fenian, pauper, beggar - those types of words.
“What it tells me about the people who are saying it is they have this outdated sense entitlement or superiority complex and, because I have the gall to stand up for myself, then I bring it all on myself.”
- Brendan Rodgers: Neil Lennon's behaviour "shouldn't even be a question"
Les Gray, the former Scottish Police Federation Chairman, said in a television interview on Thursday night that Lennon “could have caused a riot” when he celebrated a last-minute Hearts goal being disallowed.
Lennon said: “Les Gray was on TV last night, totally embarrassing, absolutely embarrassing. Totally missing the point.
“He said I could have caused a riot way way off. I was embarrassed for him, totally irrelevant. To me it was a worry that someone in that sort of position could come out and talk nonsense and to be fair to the other people on the panel shut him down very quickly.”
Lennon is one of the most successful non-Scots in the history of the game in this country but has had to ensure all manner of abuse, from being a target since Martin O’Neill spent £5.75million on him just over 18 years ago.
He said: “It’s been from day one. When I came up here from Leicester, there was an effigy in Lisburn which said ‘Neil Lennon RIP’ before a ball had even been kicked.
"So, you can’t tell me that it’s because I’m an aggressive person, which I’m not. I am competitive, I’ll stand up for myself, I won’t bow down to people who thing they are above me. That’s just my way. People don’t lie it because they are not used to it.”
- READ MORE: Neil Lennon won't be driven out of Scotland by racists and is proud of what he achieved with Celtic
“We (Scotland) are not progressive. The mind-set says we are not progressive. You can point a lot of things but ultimately it comes from the home. I’m not saying there is not bigotry within the Celtic support and maybe an element in the Hibs support. I’m not saying that.
“I’m talking about my own individual circumstances. I find it very distasteful still. You see all these political adverts about being one Scotland, one democracy. It’s certainly not when it comes to me."
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