Lenny demands Clancy never refs Hibs again
Neil Lennon branded Scotland’ s referees “amateurs” and demanded Kevin Clancy doesn’t take charge of a game involving his team again.
The Hibs manager was sent to the stand after protesting about a penalty awarded to Kilmarnock in the 2-2 draw.
Lennon believes Clancy has a personal vendetta against him, but maintains there’s a deeper problem concerning the standard of officials.
He thinks they should be sent off if they’re shown to make blatant mistakes!
The Easter Road believes Clancy has a problem with him because he criticised the whistle for failing to award Hibs a penalty when Rangers’ David Bates blatantly handled the ball in a game last November.
He said: “He’s made it personal because I criticised him after the Easter Road game.
“I thought he was coming over to warn me.
“If he says behave yourself or calm down, I could take it no bother.
“He sends me off and I’m far from happy. Then I can’t do my job.
“Why can’t we send referees off when they are so blatantly ruining the game?
“I’m trying to do my job at an important stage of the season and I can’t do it for the last half-an-hour.”
Lennon says other referees have also got it in for Hibs.
He went on: “Huge decisions have gone against us this season.
“The goal we scored at Tynecastle, the clear hand ball against Rangers. I’m at my wits’ end with referees at the minute.
“The standard needs to get better. They are not good enough.
“Every week we are talking about blatantly obvious decisions which are being called wrong.
“The standard is declining as the game in Scotland is improving.
“It’s amateur. Mickey Mouse stuff.”
Lennon is sure to be in hot water for his comments and for his reaction to getting sent off.
He stepped on to the pitch and applauded in Clancy’s face before being pulled away by his backroom staff.
He certainly didn’t seem to be making a huge fuss about the penalty award at the time, but he was adamant Porteous shouldn’t have been penalised for handball.
His teenage defender agreed and explained what happened.
He said: “It came off my right arm, which is tucked in to my body, as I tried to get out of the way. My left arm is in an unnatural position, but it doesn’t hit it.
“If he thought it was deliberate he would have had to give me a second yellow card. That makes me think he guessed.”
Lennon also slammed the Kilmarnock plastic pitch.
He said: “The pitch is abysmal. It is impossible to play football on it.”