‘He’ll always have fans in Lurgan’
Co Armagh Celtic supporters say local hero Lennon ‘lived the dream’
CELTIC fans from Neil Lennon’s home town have told how they were devastated but not surprised to see their hero leave the club after a disastrous season at Parkhead.
There was a sense of disappointment and regret in Lurgan after the Scottish champions announced yesterday that the Northern Irish manager had resigned with immediate effect.
The ex-hoops captain took charge of the club for a second spell in 2019 after Brendan Rodgers left for Leicester City.
He led the Old Firm outfit to two titles, two Scottish Cups and a League Cup.
His exit comes after Sunday’s defeat to Ross County effectively ended the Bhoys’ quest for a tenth title in a row, with rivals Rangers 18 points clear.
The Hoops failed to qualify for the Champions League proper and exited the Europa League at the group stage, but Lennon did manage to guide his side to victory in December’s much-delayed Scottish Cup final.
Celtic’s trip to Dubai in January, however, ended in disaster, with 13 players, as well as Lennon and assistant John Kennedy, forced to self-isolate after Christopher Jullien tested positive for Covid-19.
Lennon has endured much criticism from fans in recent months, but the love of his hometown is unwavering.
Paul Mcglone, a member of Lurgan’s Celtic Supporters’ Club, said his heart went out to the manager, who would be incredibly disappointed at the failure to secure a tenth title in a row.
“I just hope the supporters give him the respect he deserves because he’ll go down as a Celtic great, not only as a player but on the managerial side of it too,” he added.
“What he’s done for Celtic as a family and the trophies he’s won as a player and manager — it’s just fantastic.
“We’re so proud of him because he played for Lurgan Celtic and went on to live the dream and play for Glasgow Celtic.”
The gable wall of the town’s Celtic Supporters’ Club boasts paintings of club legends such as Jock Stein and Jimmy Johnstone, as well as Lennon.
Paul said it would have been very special to have had a Lurgan man guide the side to a tenth consecutive title.
“He would have been up there with what Jock Stein did for us in 1967 to become the first team in Britain to win the European Cup,” he added.
“It’s just totally devastating for Lurgan Celtic, but we’re relieved in a way for Lenny.
“I’m sure he’s a relieved man this morning, knowing he’s out of that now.
“He would have loved to have been the man to get 10 in a row, but it is what it is.”
Celtic fan Maria Mccallion (26) said Lennon would always have supporters in Lurgan and “that will never change”.
“This season has been very hard to watch, especially because I would have loved nothing more than to see Neil lead us to the 10 in a row, but unfortunately that wasn’t meant to be,” she added.
“Neil is the nicest footballer I have met in my life. He would always go out of his way to make time for everyone.
“I’m just saddened that his reputation has gone down in people’s eyes, but he will always have fans in Lurgan. That will never change.”
Stevie Breen (38) said that while it was said to see anyone lose their job, Lennon’s resignation was “inevitable” because Celtic’s results have been nowhere near good enough.
He pointed out, however, that the manager secured the club a ninth title and is the only person to have won five titles as a player and a manager at Celtic, “which is a great achievement”.
“It has been on the cards a few months now. Pressure to win the Holy Grail of 10 successive league titles in any year, never mind during a pandemic, was enormous, but sadly it wasn’t meant to be,” he said.
Stevie added that the season was a “shambles from the start”, especially after Boli Bolingoli, who has since been loaned out to Istanbul Basaksehir, broke quarantine rules after flying to Spain without the club’s knowledge.
The player was suspended for five games and Celtic’s next two fixtures were postponed.
“It gave us a mountain to climb, but I still thought we would get going again,” Stevie continued.
“I hoped the Scottish Cup win in December was the turning point, but then the shambles of Dubai happened. That was the end, really.
“(Midfielder) David Turnbull has been the shining light in what has been a dismal season that promised so much and has gone without a fight.”
Lennon said: “I have always given my best to the club and have been proud to deliver silverware to the Celtic supporters. The club will always be part of me. I will always be a Celtic supporter myself and I will always want the best for Celtic.”
‘I would have loved nothing more than to see Neil lead us to the 10 in a row, but unfortunately that wasn’t meant to be’