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Neil Lennon spoke of his ordeal at
being the victim of a bomb threat, saying how it has affected his
personal life and admitting he will consider quitting his position
as Celtic manager if the situation
happens again.
It was revealed this week that Lennon, his lawyer Paul McBride
and the Celtic-supporting former MSP Trish Godman were the intended
recipients of explosive devices. For Lennon, it is merely the
latest – if most high profile – security incident against him. "I
probably listen to advice from security people more than anything
else," Lennon said. "If this was to escalate further then I would
seriously have to reconsider my position."
While Lennon insisted he had no immediate plans to step down he
spoke emotively about the way it has affected his everyday life. He
is clear that his background as a Catholic and a Northern Irishman
at Celtic fuels plenty of the treatment he is subjected to. As a
player with the Parkhead club, Lennon was routinely a target for
opposing fan. "It's just another chapter in what has been a
tumultuous 10 years regarding things away from football," Celtic's
manager said. "I never envisaged coming here would create such
hatred for myself or my persona as it has done. I don't know what
it is that brings the worst out in people when it comes to
myself."
In direct reference to why he attracts unwanted attention,
Lennon said: "People have their theories. I was an aggressive
footballer, blah blah. But they cannot have that theory now. It's
obviously something else. And we all know what it is. I had 14
years in England with a completely peaceful, calm lifestyle. I
could walk down the street without any hassle. It was a nice way to
live your life."
Now, Lennon has security focus on his every move. "I can do my
job okay but living a normal life is a bit different," he
explained. "I have had to change a bit of my lifestyle obviously,
and reassure my family that things are going to be okay.
"This has gone on another level, in terms of this package. This
has taken the security levels through the roof. I am not under
armed guard or anything like that but we have had to curtail a few
things and change things about my lifestyle which is unfortunate.
But I am hoping things can be brought to a head.
"It's uncomfortable seeing yourself on the hour, every hour on
Sky News or BBC News. It's a surreal feeling. I have not had that
since the death threat when I quit playing [for Northern Ireland]
in 2002. There is a disconcerting element to it."
Admirably, Lennon appears to have conducted his work as normal
throughout this turbulent period. If he harbours deep-rooted
resentment, he hides it well.
"I'm not a bitter person," Lennon said. "I'm too busy to be
bitter. I'm too busy trying to achieve things. I have so many
challenges in my life to look forward to and I can leave things
behind. People who are bitter get left behind in life. I've always
looked ahead. I have had a few regrets in my life in football and
private life, but I've a lot to look forward to and I have no time
to be bitter. You get offered the Celtic job once in a lifetime and
you take all the crap that goes with it," he added. "By that I mean
criticism in the press, but I get things a little bit differently.
But I said that it's a great privilege to manage this club and I
want to do it for a while.
"I have never once thought about walking away. It has not
deterred me from what I have to do and my job here. It's been the
greatest privilege of my life. I am totally committed to what I
want to do."
The 39-year-old hopes the shock surrounding the affair can
trigger some positive impact, directly related to the wider issue
of bigotry. Walter Smith, the Rangers manager, became the latest
figure to express his outrage over the explosives affair on
Friday.
"I think we are coming to a zenith on this," Lennon said. "I
think there will be condemnation from all aspects in Scotland – at
least I'd like to think so. Hopefully, all this rubbish can stop.
It has nothing to do with football and we are all fed up with it.
We're all fed up with the singing, fed up with the abuse and we
just want to do our jobs. I'd like to think that we've reached a
tipping point."
Smith endorsed sentiment he stated earlier in the season, that
the Old Firm environment is too troublesome to enjoy. The
soon-to-depart Rangers manager and his wife have been briefed by
police over their own safety in recent days. Smith went so far as
to say the unpleasant backdrop would have led to him questioning
his position in the summer anyway, were he not already committed to
leaving Rangers.
"After the happenings of the last week, I'll be delighted it's
my last one," said Smith of Sunday's Old Firm game. "In the 20
years I've been involved [at Rangers] and being from the west of
Scotland, I've never known a week quite like this. It's sad."
Lennon's full focus, then, is on the small matter of a crucial
trip to Ibrox. "There might be a few sympathetic voices in the
ground, which would be nice," he said. "But I am not looking for
sympathy. I am looking to go there and win a football match."