SFA will investigate Lennon over gesture to Rangers fans
● Police probe death threats to Hibs boss ● Ibrox club appealing Jack’s red card
SFA compliance officer Tony Mcglennan will look into Neil Lennon’s behaviour at the end of Hibs’ 3-2 win over Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday.
However, any investigation into the Easter Road manager’s conduct, when he gestured at the Rangers support behind the away dugout, will not be until later in the week as Mcglennan will first deal with “fast-track” submissions, such as Rangers’ appeal against Ryan Jack’s red card in the same game.
Referee John Beaton’s report has already been submitted to the SFA but it’s not known yet whether the match official mentioned the matter of Lennon’s celebrations.
Police are also probing “threatening comments” made against Lennon.
Events took a sinister turn yesterday when Lennon was again the subject of threats of violence on social media.
Twitter posts apparently show a user claiming he would “shoot” Lennon, and adding that he was “serious” about the threat.
Police had earlier received complaints over Lennon’s conduct during Hibs’ victory over Rangers on Saturday but the former Celtic manager has denied any wrongdoing. A Rangers fans’ group also released a statement condemning Lennon for conduct “not becoming of any football manager”.
BBC Scotland yesterday posted film of Lennon celebrating the goal on their website with the warning that “some people may consider some scenes to be offensive”.
Now scrutiny has fallen on threats made towards Lennon on social media.
“Police Scotland is aware of offensive and threatening comments that have been posted on social media concerning a named individual and enquiries are on-going in connection with this,” a force spokesperson said.
Police earlier confirmed they were making enquiries following the complaints about Lennon after what was another controversial meeting between the sides.
Rangers midfielder Jack was sent off following a clash with Anthony Stokes, who escaped further censure after an early booking for tangling with James Tavernier in the opening stages.
Rangers have already submitted a “notice of intention to submit a claim for wrongful dismissal” in a bid to overturn the red card received by Jack. Their appeal, which must be lodged by 3pm today, will be looked at as part of the governing body’s fast-track disciplinary process.
Lennon will need to wait longer to learn his fate – if indeed any action is taken at all. The Hibs manager insisted he had no concerns about his celebrations after Simon Murray’s 20th-minute equaliser. When it was suggested Rangers assistant manager Helder Baptista had spoken to police about him, Lennon said: “I didn’t make a gesture, I celebrated a goal.
“If they are unhappy about it they can come and tell me. But I shouldn’t get into trouble for doing that.”
Lennon has a two-game suspended ban hanging over him following a touchline clash with Morton boss Jim Duffy last season. The ban would be triggered if Lennon was found guilty of misconduct before the end of 2017.
Former Dundee United manager Mixu Paatelainen was handed a suspended twomatch ban for similar celebrations, although more prolonged and aggressive, in front of Dundee fans in April 2016. An SFA disciplinary tribunal ruled he had breached rules by “shouting and gesticulating at away supporters’’.
Darren Mcgregor has never heard noise like the atmosphere created at Ibrox on Saturday – and believes Hibs’ comeback victory against Rangers in such intimidating surroundings will prove “character-building”.
The Easter Road defender spent a season at Rangers but never experienced anything as loud as the Govan ground at the weekend.
Hibs struggled in an intense opening spell after slipping behind in just the third minute to an Alfredo Morelos header.
Kenny Miller also hit the post as Rangers went for the jugular right from the off.
But Simon Murray’s equaliser followed by Ryan Jack’s red card and a James Tavernier own goal turned the tables and Vykintas Slivka’s second-half drive ensured Tavernier’s late header was just a consolation.
Hibs manager Neil Lennon’s celebration of Murray’s leveller, cupping his ears and aiming an underarm gesture at the main stand, and the reaction to it since, has overshadowed the on-field display by his team.
But Mcgregor believes the capital club, who also won their league opener against Partick Thistle, deserve praise for the way they stood up to Rangers in the 3-2 victory. He said: “It’s definitely characterbuilding to come to Ibrox, in front of 50,000 fans and lose a goal after two minutes.
“It was very disappointing, but I thought we showed great heart and determination to come back and perform the way we did over the course of the 90 minutes.
“I’ve never heard noise like that. We were commenting on it in the changing room afterwards.
“The boys were saying it went above noise, it was that intense.
“I think that’s why it took us ten minutes just to get settled and by that time we were 1-0 down.
“But great credit to the boys and to the travelling away fans, they were high volume all game.”
Aside from Lennon’s touchline antics, controversy was sparked by Jack’s red card and John Beaton’s decision to show just a yellow to Anthony Stokes following an altercation with Tavernier.
But Mcgregor claims Beaton’s decision to send off Jack, apparently for an alleged headbutt on Stokes, was the right one.
He added: “It definitely benefited us.
“I think the boy Jack’s lost his cool in an intense situation, which you can’t do.
“He’s pressed his head up against Stokesy, so he was rightly sent off. That’s obviously swung the ball in our favour, but at that point – at 1-1 – we still had to carve out openings against a team full of internationalists, a really good team, in their own back yard.
“So, credit to the boys for doing that.” Meanwhile, Mcgregor reserved special praise for Murray, who took his tally for the season to ten goals in seven competitive matches since arriving from Dundee United this summer.
He told Hibs TV: “I wouldn’t like to say he’s proving people wrong but the number of goals he’s scored, and important goals he scored, since he came in and his workrate, his overall game play, has just been superb.
“He probably could have got a couple on Saturday.
“He’ll continue to get better, because I know what kind of person he is.
“He’s a hard worker and he analyses every performance. He’ll just get better and better.
“To have ten goals already in competitive games so far, when a few pundits were writing him off, is just superb. Fair play to him.”
“It’s definitely character building to come to Ibrox , in front of 50,000 fans and lose a goal after two minutes. I thought we showed great heart and determination”
DARREN MCGREGOR