Three of a kind
Neil Lennon has slammed referee Craig Thomson’s performance after losing 2-0 to Hearts tonight.
Thomson denied Celtic a clear penalty when Ryan Stevenson raised his hand to take the ball away from Gary Hooper 10 yards from goal- moments later Lennon was sent from the dug out and watched the remainder of the match on an ESPN monitor.
Referee Thomson is no stranger to missing penalties for Celtic and was forced into an apology through his mentor Hugh Dallas for denying Celtic a penalty at Ibrox last October.
Thomson denied Celtic two clear penalties in the same game at Ibrox, booked Shaun Maloney and Mark Wilson for simulation and allowed Kyle Lafferty away with an x-rated attack on Zheng Zhi.
Tonight he booked Gary Hooper for simulation when it was clear that the player stumbled as he attempted to go round the keeper while overstretching to keep the ball in play.
With uncertainty and insecurity haunting the inner circle of refereeing with Dallas under scrutiny Thomson turned in another sub-standard performance that must leave SFA Chief Executive Stewart Regan shaking his head at his inheritance.
“I was fifty yards away and I could see it,” Lennon told ESPN about the penalty incident. “I think television replays will show that it is a clear hand ball.
“If the referee didn’t see it I don’t understand why the standside linesman didn’t see it. Once again I’m having to talk about referees when I don’t really want to.”
After Celtic’s 2-1 win over Dundee United last month Lennon was lied to by Dougie Dougie after the match who claimed that he disallowed a penalty awarded for a foul on Gary Hooper because of the intervention of the assistant referee.
No apology has been issued to Lennon by Dougie Dougie, Dallas or the SFA which left the Celtic boss wondering if it was worthwhile to approach Thomson after tonight’s shocking display from the whistler.
Replying to a question about the penalty Lennon admitted: “I’m still waiting on clarification, I don’t know whether I’ll bother about seeing the referee- is it worth it?
“I’m very disappointed with some of his decisions tonight and very disappointed with the sending off.”
Television evidence suggested that Ledley did foul Ian Black at the ordering off but whether it was a red card offence is open to debate.
Lennon had a perfect view of the incident and was incensed by his players sending off.
The Celtic boss added: “For me it was a good tackle (from Ledley) it wasn’t even a foul. I don’t know what replays show, by all accounts other people have seen it, both have gone in with both feet so why Joe’s been sent off I don’t know because he’s come away with the ball.”
Lennon carries the can and responsibility for his mistakes in Celtic’s worst domestic performance of the season.
Who takes responsibility for Thomson’s showing is any-one’s guess.
Lennon will be asked to appear before the SFA to explain his ordering off which should make for interesting viewing.
Perhaps the SFA could welcome in their new era or accountability and transparency by screening the meeting live on their own website?
SFA launch email investigation at last
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I watched the game on a pretty poor video stream and could see Ledley took the ball and the handball for a penalty.
But I knew as early as the first five minutes we would get nothing from Thompson when Wilson had the shirt pulled off his back in the corner and CT gave the wee huns a free kick.
He could not get the red card out of his pocket quick enough and the simulation yellow card was a joke.
The referee on Saturday could not do anything else than send off Hartley or give us the other penalties, but I think we all knew that the backlash would start soon. Witness tonights panto.
We need to remove ourselfs from this league and country.
It was a stonewall penalty but Lennon needs crash course on how to win football matches. Jim Jeffries must have looked at the team sheet and pished himself laughing when Sammi appeared on the starting line up. FFS
Samaras= guarenteed loss, abysmal excuse for a footballer, and its Lennon’s one blindspot to be fair, why he keeps incorporating him into the team is anyones wonder.We did fairly well last weekend without him!
I’m right behind Lenny with the war on the Sectarian Football Assocciation, robbed blind again- Ledley was a yellow card and how the ref missed the blantant handball when standing right there is obscene. But i knew the minute he carded Hooper for diving when Hooper didn’t even look for a penalty and clearly stumbled i knew the ref was bias.
And the officials couldn’t wait to send Lennon off. Cheats the lot of them. Doesn’t disguise the nightmare peroformance, but any chance of coming back was finished by the ref.
Must agree Gerry and add wee Shaun Maloney to the culprits. Armband ? Leadership on the park needed from January as I don’t see it from anyone at present.
G
The photo of the 3 amigos tells all,
Where were there glasses?
That’s the 3 we have trouble with in the last month,
Listen to yourselves! I am a Celtic fan of 35 years, and these comments are laughable!
Yes, the two decisions were wrong, but I saw 2 wrong decisions against Rangers in their game on Sunday! A goal disallowed and Thompson’s sending off.
Lennon is becoming embarrassing with his after match comments, and they will ultimately prove counter productive.
I’m a Celtic fan for 64years and this must be the worst we have suffered,even when they bent backwards for MIM and Souny, it also seems when we have a Ulsterman in charge they put the boot in. I suppose you’ll call me paranoid, at least I’m not a bigot like SFA,
Don’t go down the J. Stein team 9 in a row they were hell bent then as well, difference BIG JOCK KNEW (pardon the pun)he fought them and Bullied them you could smell the sh*** in the dressing room cheecking the boots, he would have love Dallas and Co.
To D Brackley
I think that you are agreeing that Craig Thomson is not a very good referee?
Time for him to do a Conroy and give someone else the tougher SPL matches since Thomson’s judgement just isn’t good enough.