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Neil Lennon <Neil-Lennon-Celtic>

"The legend has returned"

	Scotlands Shame	569 dni temu
	An amusing summation of one set of fan's hatred towards an opposing set. Within the statement however, real issues lie dormant amongst the mainstream Scottish population. While this campaign may be attracting attention to the constant back and forth between the Celtic and Rangers fans, it's worth examining the sentiments behind the words and exposing the many and plentiful stream of reasons why Rangers Football Club and their fans are dubbed as Scotland's shame. Indeed the reasons are laced throughout the history of the club. In the early years of both clubs before the second world war and in the late 19th Century, the Irish Catholic community in Glasgow struggled indefinitely to gain parity within the society of the city they had fled to from famine and injustice across the water. In fact, across Scotland this appeared to be the case. Finding charity and entertainment in a football club became a focal point of the working class community however bigotry, it appears, can never be left behind. Rangers Football Club and it's fans stood in direct opposition to these ideals, itself becoming a focal point for people showing resentment and hatred towards a new community in Scotland. Celtic fans quickly became an identifiable group, receiving abuse for any matter of things which caused irk with 'the natives'. It is in fact true to say this wasn't simply a sectarian viewpoint within the predominantly Protestant but a racist one, with many of the elite in Scotland actually believing immigrants of this nature to be inferior in every way towards themselves. Newspapers even depicting Celtic fans at the time as apes in contrast to supposedly 'handsome' human beings of Rangers FC in crude drawings. The irony here now the 21st Century marches onwards isn't lost on myself and I hope it isn't on you either. If the way to two clubs opposed each other in such ways isn't reason enough to find shame in the culture of Rangers then perhaps further reasons can be explored. For instance, the authority at RFC have had a policy throughout it's history which seems abhorrent now but which seemed to be in place not twenty-five years ago. A bigoted anti-Catholic signing policy. Confront a literate fan about this and they'd amusingly inform you it's coincidence and probably reel off a name or two from a youth team in the 1970s that happened to be of a Catholic background. However the fact is it did exist and existed up until and influx of money in the late 1980s and early 90s forced their hand to buying quality foreign players from the continent and strong RC countries such as Spain and Italy. There's no hiding from it as across the city, their so called 'Old Firm Partners' Celtic have always had an open signing policy and many legends of the club do not subscribe to the faith so dominant within the fanbase. If the establishment and culture of the club isn't convincing enough, the final nail in the coffin of Scotland's Shame is the horrific history of the fanbase itself. While there's many disgraceful incidents and events littering their very being, two examples highlight it perfectly. In 1972, on the evening of what appears to be their greatest and proudest achievement to date, winning the third tier cup in European competition, Rangers fan disgraced themselves, their club and the country they were representing by rioting in the venue city, Barcelona. So obscene were the actions of the so called 'marauding huns' that even the club manager at the time, Willie Waddell, had this to say: “It is to these tikes, hooligans, louts and drunkards that I pinpoint my message – it is because of your gutter-rat behaviour that we [Rangers FC] are being publicly tarred and feathered . . . ” After a violent pitch invasion with reports of infighting between the support, aggressive behaviour towards police and later attacking local shops and shockingly cathedrals and churches, it amounted to the club being banned from European football for a year and unable to defend the trophy they had won that evening. Can you think of such an ignorant display of support for your football team? To bring this right up to date and to provide a background to the immediate catalyst of the 'Scotland's Shame' movement you have to delve into something darker than any of these examples. A few years ago it was reported that one of Celtic's greatest heroes, Jock Stein, may receive a post-humous knighthood for services to football or at least, certain people may be petitioning for it to happen. In the wake of this, a vile campaign spread from within the depths of the bigots decaying in the Rangers support. It was suggested that this great man had knowledge of child abuse which unfortunately was propogated by one man acting as staff for a feeder club of Celtic in 1960s and 70s. There is NO fact or basis to this whatsoever and for years Celtic fans and family members of Stein have had to endure chants, graffiti and abuse from this disgusting group of people in the form of a slogan, unworthy of being repeated. It is a sad indication of the lows these people can go to, to try and put themselves on a plateau above what they deem inferior and better than, simply because of the religion and culture many Celtic fans follow. It is in fact time to shatter the illusion of the an 'Old Firm'. Celtic and Rangers do not stand together and never have since they have existed. Scotland's Shame stand and stand alone. The public that support them are not ashamed, they publicly indulge in Nazi salutes. They publicly call for and celebrate the slaughter of an entire faith of people. The publicly display racist attitudes not consistent within today's society. They publicly mock child abuse and slander a great Scottish figure's name. They are Glasgow's shame, Scotland's shame, Europe's shame, Football's shame.. throughout the world. This is merely scratching the surface. Please spread the word. Scotland's Shame is Rangers Football Club.
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	Lennon takes up role with Celtic	602 dni temu
	Celtic have appointed former captain Neil Lennon to the club's coaching staff and he will be in the dugout for Saturday's SPL game against Motherwell. Lennon, 36, left Celtic Park last summer and has had playing spells at Nottingham Forest and Wycombe. Lennon won a total of 11 trophies in six-and-half years at Celtic "I am overwhelmed at being offered this chance to return to Celtic, a place where everyone knows my heart lies," Lennon said. "Returning to Celtic and being part of the coaching set-up is phenomenal." Celtic manager Gordon Strachan said: "Neil is someone who I am proud to have worked with previously and is a man who I have great respect for. "Neil has made a huge contribution to Celtic over a number of years and has been a major part of the club's success in recent times. "We were disappointed to lose Neil and he is someone who I was very keen to have back at the club. "With his qualities, Neil will be a very valuable addition to our team and we are very much looking forward to working with him." Martin O'Neill brought Lennon to Glasgow from Leicester City in December 2000 for £5.75m. During his six-and-half years at the club the Northern Irishman won five Scottish Premier League titles, four Scottish Cups and two CIS Cups.
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	-= Neil Lennon - Celtic Player, Celtic Man =-	688 dni temu
	As a boy in blue with Leicester City he had no fear when playing for his country, but when he moved to God's team to play for the Celtic, it was ‘then’ a crime to be a Roman Catholic. Harassed and jeered from the stands, from Windsor Park to the stadiums in Scotland, but his confidence in his football never fell, in his first year with Celtic, he won the Treble. But now the bigots have won before a ball's been kicked, as a death threat has been made from an Ulster Loyalist, maybe the Bhoy from Lurgan, our Neil Lennon, should polish his boots for the Irish Republic.
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	-= A Man We Call Neil Lennon =-	688 dni temu
	On Parkhead’s pitch in a Celtic strip is a man we call Neil Lennon, Who stands and fights for the green & white in his midfield role position. He plays with pride in a Celtic side and is worshipped by the supporters, and he will raise his game when we chant his name as he lines up to play the Rangers. In the Hoops of green, he lives the dream a chance that the fans all wish for, and we pray to God that he hears our words as we want to see Neil Lennon score. An Irish Bhoy whose pride and joy was to wear the famous Celtic crest, with glories won; this Lurgan son has engraved the 4-leaf clover on his chest.
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	Lennon's glittering Celtic legacy	946 dni temu
	Neil Lennon has decided to leave Celtic on a high Departing Celtic captain Neil Lennon's football career in Scotland has been as colourful as his hair. On and off the pitch his bright ginger barnet has been a magnet for controversy. But with more winners medals in his Celtic treasure chest than all-time Parkhead great Kenny Dalglish it would be churlish to dwell too much on the negative aspects of his time at Celtic Park. His lack of pace for a modern footballer belied his ability to read the game and, allied to a natural tenacity borne from a hard upbringing in Lurgan, just outside Belfast, he was the lynchpin of one of Celtic's most successful ever sides. Long-time mentor Martin O'Neill brought him to Glasgow from Leicester City in December 2000 for £5.75m. It was a dream come true for Lennon to join his boyhood heroes in Glasgow. O'Neill handed the midfielder his debut against Dundee at Dens Park and it was to cement a beautiful relationship between the two Northern Irishmen. Lennon helped O'Neill's Celtic end Dick Advocaat's domination of Scottish football at Rangers by winning the domestic Treble in their first season together. Lennon won 10 major trophies in six-and-a-half seasons The following year, the midfielder's crucial contribution, as a holding player whose effectiveness in breaking up opposition attacks and rarely gifting opponents cheap possession, helped Celtic win a second successive Scottish Premier League title after Alex McLeish arrived at Ibrox. Season 2002/03 may have ended trophyless for Lennon but it was one of Celtic's most memorable in their long, illustrious history as they reached the Uefa Cup final in Seville only to lose 3-2 to Jose Mourinho's Porto. But Lennon's Midas touch hadn't deserted him and Celtic were back to winning ways the next season bagging an SPL and Scottish Cup double. However, in the midst of all this success Lennon was no stranger to controversy and was often to be found gracing the front pages of the morning papers instead of the back. After winning 40 caps for Northern Ireland he quit the international scene in August 2002 after receiving a death threat on the day of a friendly with Cyprus at Windsor Park in Belfast. Sadly, Lennon suffered assorted sectarian abuse throughout his time in Scotland and was even the victim of a road-rage incident and an attack by a pair of drunken students. Controversy has dogged Neil Lennon's career He received a public apology from a Scottish tabloid newspaper after they had wrongly suggested that Lennon had robbed one of their photographers of £12,000 of equipment following a notorious Celtic players night out in Newcastle. On the pitch he courted controversary for various unsavoury incidents including making rude gestures at opposition fans. And on one infamous occasion, he was reprimanded by the Scottish Football Association's disciplinary big-wigs for barging referee Stuart Dougal after being sent off at the end of a 3-1 Old Firm defeat to Rangers. In season 2004/05, O'Neill's last with the club, disaster struck when Celtic lost at Motherwell in the dying minutes of the final game to hand their arch-rivals Rangers the SPL title. Lennon still picked up a Scottish Cup winner's medal but, with his father-figure O'Neill gone, the now veteran midfielder's Parkhead future was in doubt for the first time since his arrival. But Gordon Strachan breezed in to take over the managerial reins in July 2005 and made Lennon the club captain despite speculation that he was heading back to the English Premiership. Lennon led his troops to the SPL and League Cup double, and after being tipped to quit the club again with his contract expired, signed another one-year deal with a final ambition - to captain Celtic beyond the group stages of the Champions League for the first time ever. His wish fulfilled, another SPL title under his belt, and with a Scottish Cup final still to come, Lennon has decided to bow out at the top. It is a refreshingly dignified end to a colourful, turbulent but undeniably glittering Celtic career. You'll Never Walk Alone Lenny, Lurgan Legend / Celtic Hero!!
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	We Support Neil Lennon	1002 dni temu
	Why does Neil Lennon inspire so much hatred from opposition fans at every ground in Scotland? Why does every kick of the ball, every tackle, every minor incident, that this particular Celtic player is involved in, provoke such fury? Is it, as some in the media have argued, because he happens to be a particularly robust midfield player? And what is it about Lennon in particular that encourages such little sympathy or understanding from the Scottish press when he appears to be the victim of racial and sectarian abuse from the stands? Is it because he’s ‘an arrogant wee so-and-so’ as one newspaper hack described him recently on his BBC Scotland radio phone-in show? Or does this unprecedented level of bile against one footballer actually reveal a more sinister, darker secret about the Scottish psyche? The denial of the true nature and extent of anti-Catholicism in Scotland culminates in a cover-up in which our politicians, churchmen, police and press are complicit. It is an institutionalised racism that covers its back by means of a sustained campaign to outlaw the culture and politics of an entire community. Our songs, our pubs and even our right to describe ourselves as ‘Irish-Scots’ or ‘Scots-Irish’ are denounced as ‘sectarian’ by every politician & political party in Scotland’s parliament and local councils, from the far-right to the far-left.
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	Neil Lennon: Life and times of a hero	1002 dni temu
	Neil Lennon Player Profile Released by Manchester City as a 19-year-old after making just one league appearance, Neil Lennon blossomed under the guidance of Dario Gradi in the excellent Crewe Alexandra set-up. He spent six years with the Railwaymen helping them to two promotions along the way, although nearly retired from the game after suffering a serious back injury. However, he recovered enough to carry on playing, and in 1996 joined Martin O'Neill at Leicester City in a £750,000 deal. He became one of the unsung stars of the Premiership and the flame-haired Ulsterman repeatedly proved he could cope with the jump from the second division to the top flight. Lennon made his international debut for Northern Ireland in 1994 and went on to captain his country, winning 39 caps and scoring two goals. Unfortunately Lennon hung up his international boots in April 2002, amid threats to his personal safety and on police advice. He had been the target of abuse because of his Catholic background. Lennon went on to become the chief playmaker in the Foxes midfield with some highly consistent performances. He won the first medals of his career after helping Leicester to lift the League Cup in 1997 and 2000. He rejoined Martin O'Neill at Celtic in 2000 and has been a key figure in the Hoops' various silverware acquisitions since. He was made captain and was a central figure in their journey to the 2003 UEFA Cup final, where Celtic were eventually beaten 3-2 by Porto. The 2004/05 season saw him continue to be integral to Celtic's success and he remained a rock in midfield, playing a gruelling 49 games throughout their domestic and European campaigns. 2005/6 saw no decline in the captains' influence as he played 38 games for the Bhoys, scoring 1 goal and eventually leading them to the SPL and to the League Cup. After intense speculation that we would move back to England this year, the 35 year old was convinved by Gordon Strachan to sign a new contract.
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	Neil Lennon.....	1002 dni temu
	A terrier-like figure in midfield, Neil Lennon's main attributes are his ability to retain possession in tight situations and an insatiable appetite to win, making him a constant source of inspiration for team-mates and supporters. Celtic Lennon began his career with Manchester City FC but one appearance in three years prompted a move to Crewe Alexandra FC in 1990. Lennon helped the club to two promotions before leaving for Leicester City FC - then managed by Martin O'Neill - in February 1996 for €1.2m. Having won the English League Cup in 1997 and 2000, Lennon was reunited with O'Neill in 2000 and helped Celtic FC to all three domestic trophies in his first season. He was a key figure in another title victory in 2001/02 and was instrumental in the club's run to the 2003 UEFA Cup final, which ended in a 3-2 defeat by FC Porto. He missed only one league game in the double-winning 2003/04 season and was appointed captain by new manager Gordon Strachan in the summer of 2005. Lennon thrived on the responsibility as he led Celtic to a Scottish League Cup victory and 40th league title success, and signed a new one-year contract in the summer of 2006. Northern Ireland Lennon made his international debut for Northern Ireland in 1994, and went on to captain his country. He had won 40 caps, scoring twice, when, after receiving a death threat before a game against Cyprus in April 2002, he announced his retirement from international football.
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