He does like indoor BBQs but the Californian Nazi-obsessed, Satanic-imagery based band aren’t much of a sausage treat. In any case, they aren’t really bad people: it’s all part of the show. Catch them off-stage and they are lovely company and, in one notable case, believers in God.
“Black rather than white propaganda may be employed when the latter is less credible or produces undesirable effects.”
From Joseph Goebbels' ‘Principles of Propaganda’ by Leonard W. Doob
It doesn’t take the genius of Christopher Nolan and the talents of the bold Leo to perform Inception to suss the idea germinating within the Borg-like collective at Celtic Park since Wednesday night. Normally after a Celtic victory - and one where Rangers had three players sent-off - we’d be hearing crowing galore from Kerrydale Street.
But there’s clearly an attempt being made to disguise, marginalise and – in reality – totally block any real investigation into the antics of the Celtic manager. All of which makes anyone who is even mildly cynical appreciate that there is indeed something waiting to come out (see Martin Bain’s statement about previous incidents for more).
Let’s look at what we have been fed today: A carefully co-ordinated series of stories to push an agenda.
They are, in no particular order:
1. Alan Thompson explaining the absence from today’s presser of Lennon thus: “He has had 24-hour surveillance outside his house two days in a row protecting him and his family and he thought it was right to step out of the way.”
2. Huge noise amid claims of suspicious package addressed to Lennon at Saltcoats, which turns out to be nothing more than a hoax and thus invented or planned depending on your level of cynicism.
3. Story put out that Lennon was accompanied to training by a security guard.
All of this would be a lot easier to believe if he wasn’t out last night at a launch evening and he didn’t spend so much time (often multiple nights a week) in the same pub in Byres Road, all the while unmolested and unconcerned for his safety. In short: it’s a smokescreen and perilously hovering along the line of truth.
But that’s not the point or the concern of black propaganda. So what are we talking about today: what is the line?
It’s not “What did Lennon say to El Hadji Diouf?”, nor is it even “What was it that made Neil Lennon apologise now to the Celtic board - after all he has been in so many scrapes and arguments this season that one more is surely of no consequence?”
It’s a mixture of victimhood and fantasy. Poor wee Neil. Yet again it’s time for the tormented artist.
This from someone who when he was appointed told us: "I want that passion and noise from the crowd and I want my players to go to war every time they go out on the pitch."
Who will now serve one significant ban for his behaviour but faces at least one more in his debut season which has seen Glasgow derbies explode after four and a half years of relative calm under Mowbray and Strachan before him.
It has never, ever, been Neil Lennon’s fault. To suggest he is anything other than a passionate, decent guy is to be accused of sectarian bigotry or anti-Irish racism. That is the Lennon line, and one many are happy to maintain as part of their reports from the front.
Rangers’ statement on Thursday night was a welcome step but in isolation is worthless and the Club must realise that if the opposition is intent on waging war you must meet them on those terms. Ally McCoist may be embarrassed by Wednesday but his intent was correct. The era of Lennon jersey installations at Ibrox has to be over and although we don’t want to offer pitch(ed) battle we can no longer play the game on terms not recognised by the enemy.