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How do you square this theory with the sending of a letter bomb to Trish Godman MSP? In the context of my FULL post on the subject, no squaring is required. I'm sorry if that appeared like selective editing on my part, but in the context of your FULL post on the subject, squaring certainly is required. You wrote that, 'life teaches us that certain personalities are more likely to attract this kind of attention. It's no coincidence that in towns and cities throughout the world you can narrow trouble and problems down to certain groups and individuals.' Trish Godman was targetted as part of the same campaign that targetted Neil Lennon, apparently for no greater 'crime' than wearing the shirt of the team she supports on a 'casual day' at her workplace. Does this make her a legitimate recipient of 'this kind of attention'? I would disagree: this appears to me as clearly an attack motivated by sectarianism. Likewise with Neil Lennon: it is perfectly understandable that many Scottish football supporters find some of his behaviour, both as player and manager, unpalatable, but for you to state, on the basis of this, that 'it doesn't surprise me that it's Lennon that it is happening to' suggests a worldview that is, at best, naive and at worst, dangerously skewed.

I dont like Mr Lennon, but nowt to do with his religion or his club. More to do with the fact he was a very very good player who resorted to cheating against us when he got Juanjo sent off. And I dont like when he tries to convince us all that his team doesnt get decisions - sorry that is a universal feeling for supporters of every club, but generally the bigger the club the more decisions going for them. Got a very big wrong decision go for them today which they couldnt take advantage of, more to do with the ref having one angle to see the decision from. I wonder what would have been said if this was at the other end of the park. One thing that could be worse than whats happened with all this stupidity lately, Graeme Souness being in the opposite dugout. Someone who on the blue side of Glasgow also attracted the wrong headlines throughout his career. I can see what Caley D is saying, but it does stink of a Rangers / Northern Irish protestant linked idiot. However I feel that Celtic, and not just Neil Lennon have upset a few folk this season, it could be a former referee that they have upset, or a Hearts fan, St Mirren fan, an SPL employee who would have cause to get a disillusional chip on the shoulder. When the culprit is found I hope they really really make an example of them, as they are of the sickest kind of human being. By the way Lennons actions walking off the pitch today was the sort of response you get an idiot doing, much like Souness would have done. Thoughtless, provacative and crazy. Now lets try and get rid of the provocation between the two clubs, no union jacks, no irish tricolours, no provocative singing. Find them and ban them. Both sides say it is mainly a problem at away grounds so they cannot identify the culprits, SORRY but last year the Old Firm took the responsibilty of selling the away game tickets themselves. They must know who they sell them too, surely. However fans behaviour and singing was much improved today, long may it continue, these issues should be treated the way drink drivers are, named and shamed

Clearly we'll have to agree to disagree about this. Just to respond to a couple of your points, though: I don't think or claim that sectarianism is 'Scotland's problem' - it's something that exists among a very small minority of the Scottish population, and a slightly more significant minority within the population of the west of Scotland. The very large majority of Scots are untainted by such attitudes. My belief, however, that the actions of the 'disturbed individual' (I agree with you about that) who sent the letter bombs were motivated by sectarianism is not based on an inability to think for myself, nor on my 'blindly following the easy story pedalled by the press'; rather, it is based on having lived in Glasgow for twenty years, for much of that time on the route of Orange marches, and having witnessed first hand the vitriol, vandalism and violence that attend these occasions. When you've seen someone being beaten to the ground by several people for having unwittingly crossed the road while the march was in progress, it's not a great leap to assume that there are some people in the west of Scotland who are capable of greater acts of violence that they feel can be justified by what they believe is a 'cause'.

How do you square this theory with the sending of a letter bomb to Trish Godman MSP?

There you go, because I dislike him then I must have an "agenda"....get over yourself, I dislike him because he was a thug on the park and he's continued to act like a thug from the sidelines. Having a clever lawyer in his corner and the support of the club when it comes to getting him off on technicalities despite him being guilty as sin does not change that fact. Yours is precisely the kind of thinking I am talking about when I say those around the guy are happy to play the "sectarian" card instead of facing up to the fact that the guy actively courts trouble in just about everything he says or does. It really doesn't matter a jot if he's the nicest bloke in the world behind closed doors, it's his public persona that gets him in to trouble and attracts the kind of nutter that might want to send him bullets and bombs. Whilst I think you would be hard pressed to paint him as an angel prior to his time at Celtic Park, you also have to bare in mind that he didn't have what I talk about above in terms of being surrounded by people willing to justify his actions or blame the trouble/controversy on "sectarianism"....it's the perfect smokescreen. I also don't think that it's a total coincidence that sectarian related issues with Rangers and Celtic, despite it looking like it was easing off for a couple of years, have flared up again whilst Lennon has been Manager. If he's going to go around blaming it for everything then it only serves to add fuel to the fire. One side thinks, because he tells them it is so, that the bile they spout has some kind of effect on him and his own side ramp up their part in it to counteract it or through some perverted line of thinking "even things up" because that is seen as being ok so long as you can point the fingers at the others and say they are worse. FWIW I think Rangers are just as guilty of using the sectarian excuse for things where it's not the real issue. Both clubs may do it slightly differently, but they are as bad as each other.

It is curious that these problems only arose when he came to play in Scotland. He had 14 seasons or so in the English Leagues and playing international football without anything remotely approaching the abuse he has experienced in this country. There have been many other players who played in a combatative style and who wound opposition fans up. Your own manager was no angel and Paul Hartley was one who wound up Celtic fans for years before donning the Hoops and doing the same to other sides. None of them have been subjected to the off the field nonsense that Neil Lennon has experienced. You are entitled not to like him, but that does not make him the person you describe, unless it suits your own agenda to believe that.

Without some major intervention I predict the worst within the next 3 seasons....on the positive side, it gives us 7 years to re-establish what we have now (and hopefully on a firmer footing).

I would say keep everyone apart from Eric, even though he smiles a lot. Duff gets a hard time because he's Ginger and, if we got rid of Proctor, then we get rid of the Proc's patter from the match day programs. It's not all about the football. We will need another striker, a two footed winger that tracks back, and a creative midfielder. Maybe a target man as well. Easy Peasy.

Hi - I come in peace... Check out: http://www.therealspl.com It is a fan's led initiative that came from an idea from another fans forum. The website went up less than 12 hours ago but the momentum is fantastic already. It is about building a better league for all the fans outside the OF. If you like what we are saying, please tweet about us, like us on facebook etc. This is just the start but we need your help to bring about change! Come on .... Get behind this movement!

Sad , just sad . Sectarianism is alive and well at caleythistleonline.com .

To be honest it doesn't surprise me that this is happening and it doesn't surprise me that it's Lennon that it is happening too. I'm not saying it's right or acceptable, not in the slightest, but life teaches us that certain personalities are more likely to attract this kind of attention. It's no coincidence that in towns and cities throughout the world you can narrow trouble and problems down to certain groups and individuals. It's no coincidence that when it comes to trouble at football matches that it's generally the same names that come up time and again. Many of these people will claim to be innocent victims and say they were only reacting to how they were treated in the first place....but the truth is, for the most part, if you go looking for trouble then you are sure to find it. Lennon is someone who spent his entire playing career looking for and causing trouble both on and off the park and that's something that has continued into his managerial career. He's been playing the "victim of sectarianism" card for so long he's actually started to believe it himself and unfortunately he has a network of people around him who do little to help the situation, and if anything make matters worse by defending his actions or finding loopholes so he doesn't have to serve punishment for them. That doesn't excuse the actions of those sending him bullets and bombs or threatening his life, but I have to say that I have little sympathy for him. His recent claims of "This job makes me a target" are, quite frankly, a load of tosh. If that was the case then everyone who has managed Celtic in the past would have been subjected to the same and they haven't. The rights and wrongs of it don't really matter in the grand scheme of things, the kinds of people predisposed to doing things like posting bullets, bombs and making other similar threats will always exist despite the best efforts of the authorities and Lennon needs to realise that it's his own actions over the years that have made him a target for the attention of these kinds of people. The problem here is not sectarianism, that's just a convenient wall to hide behind so the finger of blame can be pointed at everyone else. The problem is Lennon, an odious wee man with a superiority complex and ego that is constantly stroked, massaged and given justification by the powers who be at Celtic Park.

I'll be voting SNP for both.....and am swithering about just leaving the Status Quo/AV vote blank., because neither is democratic.......but then I think that if I go for AV, I have no need to vote for anyone other than SNP on it if it comes in anyway. Nobody can force me to write 2,3,etc in other wee boxes. Still thinking about that.. My SNP vote is the same no-brainer it has been since I was old enough to vote....and I do vote on the independence issue only.

I tire of this "both clubs are as bad as each other" nonsense. It is a term of convenience to ensure that offence is caused to no one. Until this changes the problems will go on. Fact: Celtic is not and never has been a sectarian club. People of all creeds and colours have played a prominent role in the club's history since its formation. It could be suggested that there was a bias at boardroom level but this was more to do with family ownership than bigotry and changed when Fergus McCann took control. Fact: Rangers refused to sign players of RC origin thus operating a policy of discrimination. On occasions, mistakes were made and these "mistakes" were quickly transferred. Although this changes with the signing of Mo Jo (remember the scenes of punters burning season tickets outside Ibrox on Reporting Scotland?) and subsequent foreign players, this was never acknowledged as a change of direction by the club as the previous policy was never publicly accepted. So, one club operated a bigoted/sectarian policy for most of it's history, the other doesn't and never has. Fundamentally different. There are many more differences both politically and socially but you have to be willing to consider them. As pathetic as much of the OF is, the attitudes of non OF fans is equally pathetic at times. As for Lennon, I've never met the man. But one thing is for certain, is had he played for our team he would be our hero. His treatment is appalling and has been part and parcel of his career since before coming to Scotland. I don't feel as sense of shame that it is happening in our society, I am ashamed that people (and the authorities) do not recognise it for what it is and deal with it accordingly. Neil Lennon, has my full support no matter what team I support. None of this is his fault or responsibility despite what some agendas certain parties chose to promote.