CELTIC boss Neil Lennon could find himself in even deeper trouble, after he made further comments about refereeing decisions in the aftermath of Wednesday night’s draw with bottom club, Hamilton.
In an ill tempered match, three players were sent off as Celtic left it late to secure a point.
And since the final whistle, outspoken Lennon has once again sparked outrage amongst the SFA by claiming that further decisions were made to hinder the Glasgow side.
Contrary to many of his outbursts so far this season, Lennon did not immediately pick particular issue with the sending off of teenage sensation, James Forrest.
Of the incident he said: “I would give the referee the benefit of the doubt on that one; the linesman had a good view as well.
“It’s all right for me to say that it’s not in James’s nature to tackle like that, but I can understand why the referee gave it.”
However, Celtic will now appeal the decision to red-card Forrest as Lennon stoked the fire of his battle with the SFA even further.
The Celtic manager said the club’s onoing row with the SFA would come to a conclusion only ‘when referees do their job properly’ and said that the performance of referee Willie Collum and his assistants ‘was not good enough’, sentiments which are believed to have further enraged SFA supremo, George Peat.
Peat himself claimed this week that Celtic’s complex about bias was ‘growing tiresome’ and urged for an end to the matter, but it is believed that the SFA will decide within the week whether Lennon will face yet more disciplinary action for his comments after Wednesday’s draw.
Despite this, it is thought Lennon will escape punishment for his comments after the Hamilton mach as they were not excessively personal or critical towards Collum.
Further fuel flaming the saga, is that a date has still to be set for a hearing into Lennon’s appeal against the SIX-GAME ban imposed on him by the SFA this week for his ‘excessive misconduct’ towards Steven McLean.
The fourth official was in charge at Tynecastle when Lennon was sent to the stand there in November.
The SFA cannot set a date for the appeal as they have yet to receive written confirmation of Celtic’s intention to appeal, although they are almost certain to do so.
On Monday, the SFA’s general purposes committee will decide whether to act on yet more remarks made by Lennon toward referee Craig Thomson, after that same Hearts fixture in which he was sent off.
Lennon raged at decisions made on the evening as ‘scandalous’ and ‘ridiculous’, fuming ‘the officials will probably have their story ready already’, implying that officials would collude to have the same version of events about what had happened.
At the meeting on Monday, it is believed that Lennon will likely be asked to explain himself and the comments of striker Gary Hooper, after the Englishman claimed in a press conference earlier this season that referees wanted to give decisions against Celtic.
Celtic will hope to get back to footballing matters only tomorrow, as they take on 10th placed Hibernian at Easter Road.
