Neil Lennon coin attack shows Scottish clubs must do more to end sectarian blight

Hang Neil Lennon. That grim proclamation appeared on a wall in the vicinity of Tynecastle in the Scottish capital the morning after the felling of Hibs manager Neil Lennon in a desperate finale to the Edinburgh derby.

It could be the bovine soul who threw the coin was acting under the influence of drink. More plausibly, he was acting under the influence of the bigotry and hate that finds expression in the margins of the Hearts club.

What ought to be a positive, community development, the story of a club rescued from administration four years ago, and led to safety by the benevolence of local businesswoman Ann Budge working closely with with the supporters, is once again scarred by the twisted beliefs of the few.

Sectarian sentiment

It is not as if Neil Lennon wouldn’t have seen the coin coming. He was attacked in the same dugout seven years ago whilst manager of Celtic. Once again the undeniable undercurrent of sectarian attachment manifested in ugly scenes.

Lennon, a man with a fuse as short as his stature, might want to look at his own conduct to some degree. The trouble followed a disallowed goal that would have given Hearts victory. Lennon gestured to the Hearts fans provocatively and within seconds was brought to his knees by a flying pound coin.

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It is not all one way, of course. Earlier in the piece a punch by a Hibs fan and a set of keys were thrown at Hearts goalkeeper Zdenek Zlamal, who was ultimately decked by a ball in the delicates thrown by a supporter as he went to retrieve it behind a goal.

The violence was obviously condemned by both clubs but its recurrence suggests more must be done to rid football of sectarian sentiment. That lead must come from the leadership, first in rooting out offenders and by speaking out more forcibly and visibly against it.

It is also incumbent on characters like Lennon to temper his engagement in febrile environments. Personality is one thing, incitement another. Though that might not have been his intention, in a setting as toxic as this where actions are inferred through a warped lens, an element of circumspection would go a long way.

That is not what Lennon delivered in the moment or afterwards when once again machismo got the better of him. “My jaw is throbbing,” he said. “I’m very, very angry. I’m fizzing about it. It’s disgraceful.

Hatred

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“I don’t blame the club, you can’t legislate for the hatred of some individuals or the badness. I believe Zlamal was hit as well. It’s just ridiculous. Hopefully both individuals will be singled out. I would like to meet the individual who threw the coin at me someday.”

About the wider problem facing the game north of the border Lennon was on firmer ground. “It’s blackening the name of both clubs and Scottish football. This should be a showpiece game, it was feisty and intimidating, everything you expect. But if people can’t behave, they should be banned, singled out, embarrassed and humiliated, because they have humiliated the club.”