Neil Lennon delivered an impassioned speech to the Celtic support after today’s final SPL match.
Throughout the game the Celtic support chanted their support for Lennon who has came through more personal challenges and attacks in ten months than most managers put up with in their career.
“This isn’t the end- this is just the beginning,” he told the Celtic support to incredible acclaim before delivering a trademark comment that is bound to be dissected and analysed by his many enemies.
“We as a club this season have nothing to reproach ourselves for whether it be the board, the supporters or the players. They have dealt with a lot of issues with great dignity.
“The players have played with real panache and style, we tried to entertain all season. I think that a lot of other people here need to take a good look at themselves.”
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I was delighted to hear Neil speak fearlessly today it really has cushioned the blow that losing the title was. I normally would want change when celtic lose the title but I couldnt be happier Neil is staying
Hear, hear. Great rousing words from Lenny and I look forward to next season (Oh, after the small matter of the Scottish Cup final) and a truly galvanised Celtic family becoming a formidable force. To the board: The fans are right behind Lenny, are you? Well back it up then and give him the funds required to supplement the quality we already have in place.
This is just the beginning!
Im delighted it appears Lennon will be staying, he has stood up to extreme racism, bigotry, violence, abuse, 3 false accusations of racism, people in the SFA, some officials, many in the media, even fellow management at other clubs, who couldn’t even hide their agenda against him and intense contempt for him and what he is perceived to represent, and the most disgraceful of all the things he has had to endure – attempts on his life.
He has stood firm against all of these, he could have walked away, nobody would have blamed him, but he refused to intimidated and bullied from the job us celtic supporters believe he was born to do by these unsavoury elements of our society.
HE IS A HERO
YNWA
Next season, when Lennon has added the finishing touches to his exciting young squad, i cant see anything but a clean sweep domestically. It will be intriguing to see who he and McCoist bring in, hopefully McCoist will struggle to make the same kind of impact Lennon has, although i do wish him the best, i hope he doesn’t do too well. It will be good to see the back of Smith though!
took everything to the final game in his first season..assembled a tidy lookin squad..humped the MM 3 times..unbeaten at greyskull..oh how different it could have been but for a wee bit complacency in a couple of games..young manager & technical staff young squad..a few additions in the summer and it looks promisin..I believe lenny can really build somethin at celtic..and so too do the hun or they widnae be so feckin scared of him…lets win this final next week and its onward & upward…the fans were brilliant today!!
C’MON THE HOOPS!!
UNBOWED AND UNBROKEN!! YNWA LENNY
Gave me goosebumps. Hail hail Neil Lennon. YNWA.
A very inspirational man. For him to stay with what he has been through shows his commitement, dedication and the love he has for Celtic football club. He truly is Celtic s braveheart.
Panache and style are fine Neil but
without a couple of decent centre halfs
You will be found out in crucial games, ala
Ross Co, Inverness and Utrecht etc. And also
player recruitment and team selection should be
based solely on ability and desire to win than on
the requirments of Marketing Demograthics! Because
these kind of foriegn imports naturally put their careers first and are unlikley go in and take a broken leg even if its to stop the Huns in a cup final
I wouldn’t want 1 of our players to get a broken leg for a cup and neither would Lennon, nobody can question the desire from the celtic players, especially in the 2nd half of the season, and Celtics foreign players, Kayal, Izzy, Ki, Majstorovic etc have shown they would walk through walls for Celtic and Lennon, just like the Irish and British based players have.
A single point and Celtic’s highest points tally in 6 years, has brought in gems like Kayal for just over a million, lzzy for 600 grand, Commons for 300 grand.
I think many people have been surprised by how well he has done. I was sceptical myself about Lennon getting the full time job but i was wrong, and i think most Celtic supporters are convinced we now have some great foundations for next year.
McCoist will do well to get to 2 cup finals and finish on the number of points Celtic have this season. Im looking forward to these 2 young managers going head to head next time round, hopefully everyone can focus on the football.
Not to congratulate Smith in the interview is precisely why neil lennon should not be a celtic manager and wont be for long. the celtic board want nothing to do with him. this lack of respect dishonours the name of every celtic manager who has preceded him. as a rangers supporter this disappoints me because i want him at parkhead for a long time.
i am sure every true celtic fan shudders at this man´s disgraceful behaviour. why has no other celtic manager been attacked by a hearts fan?
Baxterboy how can you comment on Neil Lennons behaviour?
I think he could have quiet a lot to say to People like you and Rangers football club who bring shame on Scottish football.
He thanked his players , fans and people who have supported him that’s all he has to do. If he wants to congratulate Rangers he will do unfortunately People like you will want to find fault no matter what he foes. So enjoy your teams success and leave this great man alone
Baxterboy….are you totally ignorant or just completely stupid? if you heard Lennon’s interview with radio 5 or his comments reported by the BBC, he gave nothing but praise for Smith and rangers, calling walter one of the best managers and saying if he had to lose the SPL to someone then no better a man than Smith. in this speech he was addressing the fans at parkhead and thanking THEM. can you really blame him for not mentioning Rangers at this point???
Not that it will matter to you but Lennon did congratulate Rangers in an interview before he spoke on the pitch, and if this hate campaign is about Lennon as a Celtic player and manager, why did the death threats start from the minute he signed for Celtic?
Why were N.I Rangers supporters happy for him to captain the international team? Why did McCourt, McGinn. Trish Goodman, Paul McBride and Scotlands leading Catholic Clergyman Keith O’Brien all receive bombs and bullets?
The bottom line is this needs to stop because it’s seriously damaging Scottish football, and it’s damaging Celtic and Rangers.
Don’t worry about who our manager is, lets just focus on what’s going on in terms of football games, hopefully the SFA will have had a serious overhaul by the start of the season and we can just enjoy two young, passionate managers battle it out in charge of two fierce rival clubs.
Lennon is staying because he has the potential to be very successful, forget about him, you have a manager who needs your backing in McCoist.
Just laugh at sad Baxter Dignity.
I’m sure the Celtic board go whispering their secrets to folk like him!
I bet he wasn’t that worried by Tony Mowbray’s take it on the chin approach!
hunreasonable who is in the team for marketing? no one thats who!! if they are good enough they will play if they’re not they wont!! simples
Baxterboy Did he not congratulate rangers and smith after the game in his interview for Sky Sports ?
Most folk know that there is no big commercial market in Honduras, Mexico, Israel or Scunthorpe.
The unknown marketing ploys are the result of clever scouting.
With the exception of Juarez Celtic could turn around a very tidy profit on any of Lennon’s overseas signings.
I wouldn’t expect any summer departures unless £10m or more was on the table- that figure will always be accepted- and reinvested.
baxtersoupman,
Great dignity in winning there pal.
Did Watty at his farewell appearance at owebox on Tuesday congratulate Lenny on taking him all the way in his 1st season, or offer words of comfort and consolidation on the horrors he has had to endure this season. No you say? Now would I have expected him to.
Phud.
well said frank!
Please use correct grammar- this is not a r*ngers site- “has came”?
Oh dear. Why do Rangers supporters look for congrats and respect when they show none of this to others.
Neil Lennon did congratulate Rangers and Walter Smith. As a young manager in his first season he has done exceptionally well especially when considering the background of prejudice (SFA tribunals the judgement of which was set aside by a High Court Judge) and personally being terrorised by the citizens of a country that boasts it welcomes all visitors (except Northern Irish catholics who are intelligent enough to fight strongly for their beleifs and principles).
Look at Jim McIntyre of Dunfermline. 1st year in the job with a demanding support and unrealistic chairman, he delivered after the first year of learning.
Neil Lennon will be sensational next year. He is smart, intelligent and now wiser from his experiences. Remember, Walter Smith improved dramatically from his Everton debacle.
Bad experience when combined with drive, determination and intelligence is an unbeatable combination, I look forward to a resugent Celtic both domestically and in Europe.
Hail Hail
Lennon has done exceptionally well for his 1st season as a manager.
Lennon did congratulate Rangers in an interview, a lot of Celtic supporters thought Smith should have came out and condemned the terror campaign against Lennon but he didn’t.
It didn’t mean he should have been blown up or sacked. Rangers supporters need to start worrying about their own club, McCoist has just taken over and will need Rangers supporters to back him and get behind him.
I am excited about the transfer window and seeing who Lennon and McCoist bring in, its an exciting time in football terms, two rookies going up against each other, both successful players at their clubs, lets just hope this is what we are concentrating on for a while.
couldn’t care less if lenny congratulated the cardigan or not.i have and never will have respect for anything rangers.a vile club with vile fans