Lennon wades into the “Badgegate” debate, and labels Hearts “pedantic”. Would he do the same if it was the Celtic crest that Ibrox defaced?
Eric Knott 
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - DECEMBER 27: Former Hibernian manager Neil Lennon during a cinch Premiership match between Hibernian and Heart of Midlothian at Easter Road, on December 27, 2023, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Scates/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Since becoming a pundit, Neil Lennon likes to be controversial.
I’m sure, at the end of the day, he’s trying to be balanced, and show that he’s not biased.
Unlike a certain village idiot who doesn’t even try to hide his allegiances.
It is inevitable, then, that when he tries to be balanced, and wades into a controversy like the one where Hearts were unhappy with the Ibrox ladies’ side covering their club badge with the Ibrox badge, it is going to annoy Celtic fans.
Most Celtic fans do not agree with the Ibrox side’s behaviour at Tynecastle.
And while there is no love lost between our club and theirs, it does not take away from the fact that the Ibrox side’s behaviour was entirely disrespectful towards the club hosting the SWPL trophy final.
Let’s just put it this way, if it happened at Ibrox, can you imagine the outcry there would be?
Statement O’ Clock, and all that.
Yet, the Edinburgh club are being laughed at because they’re not happy about this.
They released a statement earlier in the week to that effect.
There is an element of sympathy there from most clubs, because the Ibrox club act like they can just walk all over the rest of the League.
Yet if the shoe was on the other foot, there would be statements galore of faux outrage.
They would want, and demand, the respect they believe they’re due from other clubs.
Ironic then, how it’s never forthcoming from them.
They respect nobody.
In Lennon’s case, I also understand that there is no love lost between him and the Tynecastle club.
For obvious reasons.
So, it’s clear he was never going to take their side in this debate.
However, I feel he would have been better off just saying nothing in this case.
Instead, he labelled the Tynecastle club as “pedantic” for not being happy at the Ibrox club’s behaviour.
Here is what he had to say in yesterday’s rag we all love to hate, The Sun:
When you go to Hampden, you get your own branding in each of the dressing rooms, whether it’s a semi-final or a final.
Obviously the girls, or R*****s, thought it was the same thing to do at Tynecastle.
For me it’s nothing, just pick it up, say ‘thanks Hearts for the venue, we’ve won the cup.’
It’s so pedantic.
Then they’re saying it’s a pity the focus has been taken away from the final. But you’re the ones making the statement and the noises.
It’s a non-story, just let it go. They’re appealing to a small minority.
Fair enough, Lennon is entitled to his opinion, but for me, he misses the point here.
The particular line where he says, “Obviously the girls, or R*****s, thought it was the same thing to do at Tynecastle”, shows that he completely missed the point.
This particular segment earlier in the article states why:
But that met anger from Hearts who claimed they were “extremely disappointed” that their wishes against branding in the dressing-room had been disregarded.
They also feared the badge row would divert focus from the match itself.
That their wishes against branding in the dressing room had been disregarded.
That kind of sums it up.
Obviously they had made it clear to the Ibrox club that all branding in the dressing room should remain as it was.
The reason they’re pissed off is because those wishes were ignored.
They’re pissed off because their wishes were completely ignored and disrespected.
And that’s the crux of the matter here.
The Ibrox club feels it can walk all over everyone.
They believe that rules, or simple requests, just don’t apply to them.
They respect nobody.
It’s always been that way with them.
Hearts, much and all as I don’t like them as a club, have a right to be aggrieved.
Neil Lennon, knows how little respect that club shows people, most of all him.
So, to say Hearts are being pedantic is a little rich from him.
I’ll put it this way, if the SWPL cup final was played at Celtic Park, and the Ibrox side decided to deface the Celtic crest with theirs, how do you think he’d react then?
In reality, it’s the principal of the matter here, regardless of which club is the victim in all of this.
Regardless of whether we like them or not.
The simple fact here is that the Ibrox club respects no one.
They believe they can ride roughshod over whoever they please.
Neil Lennon would do well to recognise that fact before he starts labelling clubs who fall victim to their bullshit as pedantic.
He should know better.
Click here for – NEIL LENNON’S PASSION AND FURY FOR OMONIA IS ADMIRABLE, BUT WHERE WAS THAT PASSION WHEN CELTIC NEEDED IT THE MOST?
Neil Lennon has a fancy for middle class words and expressions I’ve noticed since he became a regular on all kinds of media platforms …..big ,long words your average Joe and Jane don’t hear too often . Me neither ,as I struggle also to understand . Sounds like Lenny is intoxicated by the exuberance of his own verbosity ..ahem ! Glad I got that off my chest !
I agree with both. Lennon has to watch what he says nowadays in his position.
Most people who support scottish football have their own ideas and opinions but it is generally accepted that the old rangers and the new rangers are very arrogant. Nothing will change this.