For His and Public Safety's Sake, Is It Not Time To Put Neil Lennon In A Coaching Box?

RELUCTANTLY, I return this morning to an ongoing and seemingly unfixable blot on the landscape of Scottish football – the case of Neil Francis Lennon. In the wake of the turmoil which was Tynecastle on Wednesday night, we have seen wee Neil's supporters and detractors coming out of the undergrowth with their theories.

Martin Reilly, Neil's agent, is quoted in this morning's papers, putting-in his twopence worth, to the effect: “Neil only gets abuse because he is an Irish Catholic.”

Sadly, and what an indictment of 21^st century Scotland that such thinking should still be abroad, but, there is an element of truth in that. There are parties within our country whose politics is religion-based and whose body clock is permanently stuck around July, 1690. Conversely, there are those on the other side of the religious/political divide whose body clocks are either still in the mid-19^th century, or the third decade of the 20^th.

You might hope a century or so of evolution might eradicate this, but, no, I fear, in some parts of fair Caledonia the Dibs and the Dobs, as Andy Cameron dubbed them, will still be at each other's throats, even as the Sun implodes in the sky.

When I see Neil Lennon “enjoying some banter with” or “winding-up” opposition fans, I consider how football managers go about their match-day business, in comparison to their counterparts in other sports.

I should also say, I reckon Neil Lennon only, to a degree, gets abuse because he's Neil Lennon, and, at football matches he is, to use James May's wonderful phrase: "a cock."

The British and Irish Lions coaching team at work. Maybe Hibs shoud put Neil Lennon in a coaching box

Have you ever watched a telecast of a top rugby match, either in the PRO14 or at international level? The Head Coach of each competing team is seated, at the highest point of the grandstand, often isolated in a glass-fronted box. He is surrounded by his most-important staff members, each with an active lap top in front of them.

The coach therefore, has instant access to TV replays, he is also looped into the refereeing team's radio circuit, while his assistant coaches are constantly monitoring the sports science and GPS data being fed back from the transponders each player wears.

This means, they can spot when a particular player's performance begins to drop-off from pre-planned settings, and can immediately get a substitute on. The coach immediately knows why a decision was given, he can replay incidents and perhaps adjust his team's formation.

He is in direct two-way contact with his pitch-side team, and can get instructions and tactical changes done – he is not caught-up in the tsunami of emotions pitch-side, but, sits above most of the clamour, and is able to think rationally.

Compare that with the pandemonium of the front-line action, where most football managers operate, at ground level, where it is impossible to get an overview of what is happening.

There is a slightly different system in place in American sport, where, even when the Head Coach is pitch-side, he is wired-up to a bunch of specialists, high in the stands, able to take a strategic overview of what is happening, and keep him abreast of events which he cannot properly see from his lowly position.

Given all the money splashing around in the game, you might think football would have caught-up by now. But, certainly in Scotland, it has aye been, that the manager screams from the dug out.

Suppose Neil Lennon was placed in a coach's box, at the back of the stand, but in two-way communication with the dug-out, he might be able to assess the match and coach it, free from the distractions of having to banter with the opposition fans behind him. And, if Neil Lennon is the sane, sensible person he is reputed to be away from matches – he might be the better for it.

Or does he, like my Ayrshire Junior manager/banker about whom I blogged yesterday, have a normal head and a football one – or maybe a case of football-induced bi-polarism?

I DON'T know about you, but, I would assume, centre stand seats, behind the dug-outs are fairly-high up the scale of “good seats” at a ground, and therefore liable to attract perhaps a premium when it comes to a club's pricing policy. In fact, I would suggest such seats would be very attractive to potential season ticket holders.

I would also suggest, given how the capacities of today's all-seated stadia have shrunk from the old days of sweeping terraces, the away team should have a good idea about exactly which of their fans is getting a ticket for an away derby against their biggest rivals.

So, hopefully, if the Hibs' clown who punched the Hearts' goalkeeper, and the Hearts' half-wit who flung that coin at Neil Lennon are not already among the handful of fans who have been arrested for misbehaviour on Wednesday night – then they will very soon be getting the dawn knock from Police Scotland and, after the legal process has been completed – assuming guilty verdicts – they are banned for life from Scottish football.

All of which has got me back on one of my hobby horses. Some day, and hopefully soon, the SFA will need to grow a pair and initiate the process of “Strict Liability” on the member clubs as regards their fans' (mis)behaviour.

Obviously, the clubs do not want to go there. It seems to me, they would far rather treat the fans like shit and keep them at arm' length, rather than bring them on-board, try to offer them better deals, perhaps even a voice in how a club is run.

I have long held, brining-in membership schemes, with perks for those fans who take-up such a deal, will, in the long run, benefit both clubs and supporters. But, again, it has “aye been” done differently.

A final thought, is it just me, or has anyone else felt fan misbehaviour has increased since our lunatic politicians decided to score cheap political points against the SNP government, by getting shot of OBFA, the Offensive Behaviour At Football Act?

Strange how, we seem more-concerned about Rangers fans wading through Fenian blood, or Celtic fans singing in support of the IRA, than about Hearts fans chucking coins at Neil Lennon, or Hibs fans punching a Hearts player.

Welcome to 21^st century Scotland.