WELL, at least he didn't get off Scot-free, but like many people I feel Mr Lennon got off lightly from his appearance at Hampden yesterday. It's not as if his appearance before the SFA's judicial panel was his first for bad-mouthing referees, so a sentence somewhat longer than a two-game ban might have been expected.
Several commentators of a bluish tint, who are suspected of membership of that semi-secret organisation "The Lap-Top Loyal" are suggesting that within Hampden in AD 2012, Celtic are calling the shots. Of course, by saying this, they are over-looking received wisdom over much of the 20th century, which was that Rangers called the shots. Neither position has been, is, or could be acceptable - but, that's Scottish football.
We have to accept that all clubs are equal, but two clubs are more-equal than all the others. We then either change this, or carry-on as we have. Carrying-on hasn't got us too-far, so that tells you where my sympathies lie.
To a man, all of my friends within the Celtic Family are ashamed of Lennon's continued boorish behaviour; pandering to their lunatic fringe, as the Celtic management appears to be by its continued support for and refusal to censure Lennon, will do the club no good whatsoever.
That said, I don't suppose, whatever he does, Lenny will be an acceptable figure to lots of people in Scotland, but, I just hope somebody within Celtic Park can get him onto a sort of defensive driving course in handling the media, along with anger management counselling. Otherwise, I worry for his future.
NOT half as much as I worry about the future of the game in Scotland. I see the SFA is considering stepping-in and forcing a new league set-up on the SPL and SFL. What took you so long gentlemen? Three separate bodies running senior football in Scotland has long been a joke. But, it meant jobs for the boys so that was OK. Now we can no longer fund these jobs, finally, common sense appears to be breaking-out.
I still warrant, however, it will take a few years and a lot of screaming before (if ever) this single league body arrives.
And when it does, I hope we have some sort of workable pyramid in place. When you see what Inverness Caledonian Thistle and now Ross County have managed in just 18 years - is there any case for the perennial bottom feeders such as East Stirlingshire, Albion Rovers and the like to be preserved in aspic as "senior" clubs?
WE ARE now within the final 100-days countdown to the London Olympics. Stuart "Three Jobs" Pearce has announced his "long list" of potential squad members, with several Scots still in-line for a place on 'Team GB' at the football tournament.
Back in February, I wrote to Stewart Regan and to his opposite humbers at the English, Irish and Welsh FAs, and at the BOA, pointing-out that, under FIFA rules, the (English) FA, who are running the football squads for the BOA, cannot select Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh players, without the express permission of the FAW, IFA and SFA - and that permission has not, as far as the general public is concerned, been given (I suspect a wee private deal has been struck, however).
I still have not received a response to my letters. This thing stinks and, while I admit the chances of it happening are slim, there remains a chance that coming together for the London Olympics will threaten the independence of the four FAs and that's a chance the Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh FAs cannot take. Once a UKFA is forced upon us, we become, even more than now, a part of "Greater England". This cannot be allowed to happen.
A UKFA, however, remains the Old Firm's best chance on getting into the English Premiership, so, don't bet against it.
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