Neil Lennon can’t believe that he’s been called to appear before the SFA two days before Hibs face Aberdeen in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup.
On March 29 the Hibs boss was confronted by Jim Duffy in his technical area and faces a disrepute charge for his reaction to the Morton boss
Yesterday Darren McGregor had his red card in the match downgraded to a yellow but Lennon will have to wait until April 20 to have his case heard.
A single match ban would put him in the stand for the semi-final while a visit to Glasgow 48 hours before a vital match is hardly ideal preparation for the Hampden fixture.
“I’m not happy with the date,” he said in the Daily Record. “I don’t understand why it can’t be done now, or on Monday or Tuesday. I will go and I will defend myself.
“I will look to get it delayed because if it’s on a Thursday before a semi-final and they deem me guilty of something – whatever that is – then I miss the semi-final.
“That’s totally unfair. Bang out of order. Why is it delayed to the 20th? The players have been dealt with so why can’t we be dealt with?
“What more do they need to look at?”
Lennon added: “That Thursday will be an important day in our preparations. We are playing a team who are in as good form as Celtic at the minute.
“The semi is very important for this club and if I’m not being allowed to do my job for something I feel unjustifiably punished for I will not be happy. So I will ring them and ask for a delay.”
Tomorrow Lennon and Duffy will meet up again, this time at Cappielow with Hibs nine points clear of Falkirk and 11 ahead of Morton who have a game in hand.
A win for Hibs would kill off Morton’s title hopes but a home win would keep Morton in the hunt with Falkirk watching closely as they take on Dundee United at Tannadice.
