Lawwell apology is forgotten as Lennon returns to the fray with a fearsome volley
THAT will be the end of the contrition act, then. Even the most devout sceptic couldn’t have expected Celtic’s public mea culpa to have been blown apart quite so soon — or with such force.
Five days on from Peter Lawwell donning the sackcloth and ashes to apologise for the Dubai debacle, Neil Lennon took a rather different approach.
And the incendiary rebuttal delivered by the head coach may have left certain prime targets in need of asbestos underwear.
From the SFA and the First Minister of Scotland to long-time critic Andy Walker and old pal John Hartson, few escaped a fiery blast from Lennon’s verbal flamethrower.
At least we know how he passed the time during those ten days in awful isolation when the club were under constant attack from all angles. Clue: It wasn’t meditating on the importance of accepting the things he cannot change.
Yet there was nothing overtly explosive about Lennon’s delivery yesterday. This wasn’t some uncontrolled eruption of blind fury.
He’d prepared his defence. Thought about the message he wanted to convey. And used his words, if not always wisely, then certainly with a degree of precision.
Genuinely convinced that rules were changed retrospectively to catch Celtic out, Lennon sees hypocrisy and plain stupidity in how guidelines are enforced across Scottish football.
He also remains absolutely certain that his players did nothing wrong during their mid-season break — but insists that the goalposts had been moved.
And the Northern Irishman is adamant that 13 of those footballers shouldn’t have been forced into isolation after being identified as ‘close contacts’ of Christopher Jullien, one of two members of the travelling party to have now tested positive for Covid.
‘First of all, it shouldn’t have been Peter out apologising — it should have been me because it was my decision (to go to Dubai),’ said Lennon, putting himself briefly in the role of penitent before changing tack.
‘We made the trip with the best intentions for the players and the club for the second half of the season.
‘Unfortunately, we picked up one infection out of a group of 60. It did show that our protocols are all in place and working.
‘But I do feel we have been harshly treated in terms of the amount of people that have had to isolate — and the time they had to isolate as well.
‘We’ve picked up one more positive case. So that makes two out of the whole party.
‘So there was no outbreak. There was no misbehaviour. We were very professional in how we went about our business.
‘The preparation was top-class. We prepared as if we were going away on a European trip.
‘The innuendo and the insinuation from (Sky pundit and ex-Celtic striker) Andy Walker that it was a “jolly” — I can’t have that. I can’t tolerate that at all. That calls into question my professionalism, the professionalism of my players, my staff, the people who were out there helping us. It’s an absolute scandal.
‘The fact that 80 per cent of my squad were probably teetotal… it’s a total distortion of the facts.
‘And for him to go on a public platform and accuse the club of being arrogant, demanding an apology from the club, which we’ve done. Even then, it wasn’t good enough for him.
‘I want an apology from him. You cannot go there and falsify what went on with a total misrepresentation of reality.’
Individual vendettas aside, Lennon’s real ire is reserved for the application of socialdistancing rules that forced himself, assistant John Kennedy and a dozen fully-fit players to endure the same quarantine conditions as Jullien.
Claiming that they’d been given misleading information on travel requirements, and painting a ludicrous picture of teams needing ten buses on match day if the rules are to be properly enforced, he explained how the
‘close contacts’ of Jullien had been identified by the Scottish Government’s track-and-trace system.
‘On the plane it was the guys that were closest to them,’ said Lennon. ‘So all of a sudden it was two rows back, two rows forward, two rows to the side.
‘We were under the impression that, with business-class seats, the distance from two seats back was pretty safe.
‘And some lads had to isolate because they were on buses with Christopher.
‘This is where I’m confused. Because all clubs in Scotland have been travelling up and down the country in two buses.
‘With these guidelines now that we are having to adhere to, it means that only three players can travel on a 52-seater bus.
‘So when we played Hibs last Monday we had to bus six players on two 52-seater buses.
‘That would mean every club in the country with a squad of, you know, 30 people, would have to take ten buses. So, for me, the goalposts are completely moved.
‘And, in terms of physical distancing, we have been in dressing rooms throughout the country — Hamilton on Boxing Day, St Johnstone — where there is no physical distancing.
‘There is no room, we are cramped up, 15 to 20 people in the one room.
‘And now, all of a sudden, we adhere to all protocols… adhered to every rule in place.
‘We have 13 players and three staff isolating for ten days. Apart from one, they are all negative. It is absolutely preposterous.
‘I apologise to Celtic supporters for the fallout and what has happened. That was never our intention.
‘We went out there with the best of intentions to do a good week’s work, come back and really look forward to the second half of the season.
‘We followed the protocols — but it has backfired on us because the goalposts have been moved.
‘The intention for going to Dubai was correct. What was regretful was the outcome of it and the way we have been treated on it.
‘The whole bus thing? Clubs up and down the country are travelling on three buses. Now, by the regulations, that can’t be possible.’
The idea, floated by a number of lower league chairman, that Celtic’s high-profile misdemeanour had prompted the suspension of play below Championship level was also met with scorn from Lennon.
‘It’s such nonsense, I don’t even have to answer that,’ he said.
Admitting that he had struggled with the isolation of being locked down, the Parkhead boss added: ‘Your heart sinks, of course it does, because you can’t do your job for ten days.
‘It was very frustrating. And I understand what the public are going through at the minute. I understand their frustrations, having gone through it myself.
‘It’s not an easy thing to go through because you know you’re healthy, you know you’re well. But you have to adhere to the rules.
‘It’s awful what we’re living through at the moment. And that’s been interesting, as well, watching news loops and seeing how it’s affecting the public not just in the UK but around the world. It’s horrendous.
‘And, yes, we are privileged to be doing our jobs at the minute. But I can guarantee there has been no abuse of those privileges.’
Lennon clearly regrets the chain of events since Dubai. He’s sorry about the consequences. But ultimately, and resolutely, he remained unrepentant yesterday.