Strachan tells Lennon to forget spitting row

Celtic are now unlikely to pursue the issue by asking the Scottish Football Association’s video review panel to look at television footage of the incident. Skacel has denied Lennon’s claim that the Czech Republic player spat at him during Hearts’ 3-0 victory at Tynecastle.

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However, Strachan underlined yesterday that his advice to Lennon to drop the matter is not an indication of anything other than complete support for his captain. “He’s an angry man, Lenny [Lennon], at the moment,” the Celtic manager said. “However, my advice to him is to put it away now.”

Strachan suggested that pictures in a The Sun newspaper claiming to show Skacel spitting during the game “say it all”. Lennon believes that nothing is likely to be done about the flashpoint as Alan Freeland, the referee, had told him that he had not seen the incident at Tynecastle.

“The pictures this morning, need no more words — they say it all,” Strachan said. “However, whatever happens, I can’t do anything about it.”

Hearts responded to the report in The Sun by banning the newspaper’s journalists and photographers from attending matches at Tynecastle, starting with tonight’s vital game against Aberdeen that could see Hearts clinch Champions League football if they win to secure second place in the Bank of Scotland Premierleague.

However, another player who made similar allegations about Skacel, Stuart Duff, of Dundee United, has urged the SFA and Hearts to get tough with the Czech Republic midfield player, who agreed yesterday to make his loan move from Marseilles permanent. Duff claims that Skacel spat on him during a match at Tannadice in February.

“The situation with Neil is similar to the one that developed between Skacel and me,” Duff said. “There’s no conclusive television proof that Skacel did spit at him, but I don’t think Neil is the type of player who would make this up if it wasn’t true.

“Spitting at someone is one of the worst things anyone can do and I’m not just talking in a football context. To be involved in this kind of thing twice in one season is not on. Hearts really need to address the matter with Skacel and let him know he can’t get away with this for much longer.

“I am surprised the SFA haven’t looked into it in greater detail and they might do now, because a case involving Neil Lennon is more high profile.”

Hearts defended Skacel on the club website and launched an attack on The Sun for printing photographs that purport to show Skacel spitting at Lennon. “The Sun has taken it upon itself to deem Rudi Skacel ‘guilty’ based on the comments of a player that is never far away from controversy and an inconclusive long-lens photograph taken from 100 metres away,” the report said.

Hearts accused the newspaper of acting as “judge and jury” with “only spurious evidence.” Lennon’s legal representatives could be equally keen to respond to the implications made about the player’s character.

Strachan also refused to respond to Vladimir Romanov’s swipe at Celtic. The Hearts owner was unimpressed by the new Premierleague champions and dismissed them as nonentities. “I don’t think they are our strongest rivals,” Romanov said. “In Europe, for example, Celtic showed they are quite low.”

Strachan’s response was equally blunt. “The war of words didn’t come from Celtic, that’s for sure,” the manager said. “I was concerned with how we played and I held my hands up and said the other team played the most effective football.

“There was no war of words from us because we congratulated them [Hearts]. It is only a war of words if you argue but we have just made a statement. That was a statement from the captain and he is big enough and old enough to make them.

Taken from timesonline.co.uk