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THERE'S ONLY ONE NEIL LENNON
Celtic Supporters Player of the Year 2003/04
Who's the best player you've ever played with?
Henrik Larsson. You can't argue with 53 goals in a season. It's more than I'd score in a lifetime.
Fae the Saturday Herald Magazine
Saturday. 7.30am.
The Parlour Bar on 86th and Broadway
The last Old Firm game of the season is showing in the bar. Mac Millan, despite wearing his Celtic jersey with "Jimmy" across the back,is happily anonymous here. As a devoted Celtic fan - his only other major interest outside music - he composed a piece for the Celtic player Neil Lennon called, simply, For Neil, in response to the secterian abuse the Northern Irish-born Catholic has received. "He fights back" MacMillan says "I admire him so much. So I wrote the piece for him and it's in my catalogue."
Lenno's reply.......
"I'm totally surprised and a little bit flattered that someone with such standing in the world of classical music should dedicate anything to me. I'll be honest, I had never heard of James MacMillan but I've heard he's quite a distinguished figure"
Born: 25/06/1971
Signed: December 2000 Leicester
Caps: 39 Goals: 2
Previous clubs: Leicester, Crewe, Man City
Lennon tells it like it is on season 2003/04
"Without a doubt, the gap is a true reflection. We have been head and shoulders above anything in the country this season. Our performances against Rangers have been excellent, under very trying circumstances."
Plucked from Manchester City's reserve side by Dario Gradi, Neil Lennon's has become a well respected player in the English and now Scottish Premier Leagues. The Irish midfielder joined Crewe Alexandra on a free transfer in August 1990, after making just one League appearance for Manchester City.
Neil is an intelligent midfield player-maker, who always performed consistently well for Crewe. He played 188 times for the Alex, scoring 17 goals before Leicester City paid a then club record of $1.5 million for his services in February 1996. Under the guidance of his mentor Martin O'Neill at Filbert Street, Neil became a regular Northern Ireland International, but he made his International debut for Northern Ireland against Mexico while still a Crewe Alexandra player.
Lennon helped Leicester City win the League Cup in 1997 and 2000 before securing a dream move to boyhood heroes Glasgow Celtic, in Scotland. In his first season at Parkhead, again under the management of OÂ’Neill, Lennon completed a domestic treble to end the Rangers dominance of the Scottish game.
"Neil Lennon is abused at every single ground in Scotland. I can understand it at Ibrox I’ve often said it goes with the territory there but I cannot for the life of me tell you why he gets it at Pittodrie, Dens Park, Fir Park and the rest. I can only assume it’s because of his origins.
“People said before that it was because of his peroxide hair, but that can no longer be said to be the case. No, the only conclusion I can come to is that he is being singled out because of his origins.
“That’s not condoning what he’s supposed to have done at Dens Park. But there is a widespread condemnation of racial abuse in European football at the moment, and yet it seems to be accepted that Lennon is somehow fair game over here. Personally, I don’t think that’s right.”
Martin O'Neill
Round One To Lenno
A judgement at the High Court in London found that Neil Lennon had a "substantial" reputation in England which he was entitled to defend there. The daily (soap opera updates) record and sunday (soap opera weekly) mail have tried and failed to have the libel claim thrown out asserting that the English court was not the appropriate venue.
2nd And Final Round To Lenno
NEIL LENNON: AN APOLOGY
June 29 2004
THE Daily Record, in its edition of December 20, 2002, published a series of articles concerning events which took place on the evening of December 17, 2002, when members of the Celtic Football Club had a night out in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
We regret that this article alleged that it was highly likely Neil Lennon had pursued and robbed a Daily Record photographer of £12,000 worth of equipment.
We accept that this allegation was without foundation and we apologise sincerely and unreservedly to Mr Lennon for the distress and anxiety caused to him.
The Daily Record has agreed to pay Mr Lennon damages and his legal costs.