The "Old Firm" game

[doodab]

<placeholder for the inevitable argy bargy>

[shaunbhoy]

<placeholder for the inevitable argy bargy>

[shaunbhoy]

Just to set the backdrop a bit more................

Following the traditional early January meeting between these two clubs, in which Celtic triumphed at the home of their ancient foes, Lennon was told by police that he was the subject of a threat of physical violence and that his home in the West End of the city would be placed under 24-hour guard. Websites began to appear encouraging subscribers to "kill Neil Lennon"; bullets were sent to him at Celtic's stadium address. In March, following a four-day media blackout, it was revealed that primed explosive devices intended for Lennon and two other prominent west of Scotland Catholics had been intercepted.

Glasgow develops a bleak and sardonic humour that it uses as a carapace when evil comes to visit. But this time there was a palpable sense of shock that such things were happening in post-Christian, modern and liberal Scotland. Why Neil Lennon? In 2002, two years after joining the club as a player, he was forced to quit playing for Northern Ireland following death threats issued to him before a game. In 2003, two students attacked him as he enjoyed a night out near his home in the genteel West End. In 2004 he was the victim of a road-rage incident in the middle of the M8 which led to a man being fined £500. In 2008 he was beaten unconscious by two men as he left a pub. Each of his assailants was jailed.

If an asylum-seeker or an immigrant or a gay man had been subjected to an ordeal of such deep, sustained and violent hatred there would have been a public inquiry. Instead, there is a widespread notion that Lennon, somehow, has partly brought this upon himself. At the end of last month a 26-year-old man admitted to Edinburgh's sheriff court that he had assaulted Lennon during a football match in the city in May between Heart of Midlothian and Celtic. The miscreant could hardly have pleaded otherwise; 16,000 spectators and millions more watching on TV had witnessed the incident. The perpetrator spoke of his remorse and told the court that he had written a letter of apology to Lennon. The jury, however, found that the assault charge was not proven and that he had merely been guilty of a breach of the peace. It is one of the few occasions in Scottish legal history when an individual is acquitted of a crime that he freely admitted carrying out. A joke rapidly emerged that Colonel Gaddafi had offered to surrender to Nato if he could be guaranteed a trial in Edinburgh.

[shaunbhoy]

Good game so far.

[shaunbhoy]

Good game so far.

But not so good now!!!

[AtW]

4 - 2

[Incognito]

Good game so far.

******* grewt game.

Shanuy whit's the score, shauny shauny whits the score.



Oooooooooooooooooooooooo tell all the dhims you know; that we're still top o the league an they're noooooooooooooooooooooooo




**hic**

[SimonMac]

******* grewt game.

Shanuy whit's the score, shauny shauny whits the score.



Oooooooooooooooooooooooo tell all the dhims you know; that we're still top o the league an they're noooooooooooooooooooooooo




**hic**

FTFY

[Cliphead]

No comment

[shaunbhoy]

No comment

You should have stayed in your wee But'n'Ben with the radio off CH.