I’LL FIGHT THIS
Lennon will take legal action over Hibs suspension
NEIL LENNON is preparing to fight Hibs over the suspension that has effectively ended his tenure in charge at Easter Road.
The Leith club last night confirmed that Lennon will not take the team for this afternoon’s Premiership clash against St Mirren, with coaches Eddie May and Grant Murray placed in temporary charge.
Former Celtic boss Lennon and assistant Garry Parker were both suspended on Friday after chief executive Leeann Dempster intervened in the wake of a heated exchange involving players and coaching staff at the club’s East Lothian training base.
Head of academy coaching May and Murray were both in attendance at that meeting but despite voicing their dismay at the process which has effectively ended Lennon’s two-and-a-half-year tenure, they have been instructed to step up in Paisley this afternoon.
Sportsmail understands that Lennon is taking legal advice regarding Friday’s events but it is inconceivable that he will return to duty with a team he guided to the Championship title and European
football in successive seasons.
There was sympathy for Lennon from across the Edinburgh divide last night as Hearts boss Craig Levein expressed his admiration for his rival. He said: ‘I don’t know what’s happened in all honesty, although I hope he’s okay as I actually really like Lenny.
‘We’ve been on opposite sides of the city, we both want the same things for our clubs and we’ve had our moments but I have a huge amount of time for him.
‘I like him as a guy and I hope he’s all right, but really I’m speaking blind and I don’t know what’s gone on.’
A terse club statement released last night said: ‘We can confirm that Eddie May and Grant Murray will take charge of the first team for Sunday’s Premiership game against St Mirren.
‘The full focus of the club is on the trip to Paisley.’