Former Celtic footballer Neil Lennon was told by an Ulster Unionist Stormont minister that he had shown “remarkable courage” after facing sectarian abuse from Northern Ireland football supporters at Windsor Park.
Minister for culture, arts and leisure, Michael McGimpsey wrote to the footballer shortly after the Catholic-born Lennon had received a death threat just hours before he was due to line out for Northern Ireland at Windsor Park.
Declaring that there “must be no hiding place” for those responsible, McGimpsey , expressed sadness that Lennon had decided to end his international career following the incident, which attracted huge negative publicity for Northern Irish football at the time.
“When I first heard the news that someone should make such a threat against a sportsman, I was absolutely appalled,” he told Lennon, who earned 40 international caps over nine years, scoring two goals.
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“Just as there is no place in society for anyone who threatens the life on an individual, neither is there a place in sport [for those] who single out a player for abuse because of his religion or the club he plays for.
The Co Armagh-born footballer was chosen by the then Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy to captain the side in a friendly against Cyprus at the team’s home stadium Windsor Park in 2002. Just hours before, the BBC received a death threat, which led to Lennon not playing.
The sectarian abuse faced by Lennon at the time was one of the spurs to the Irish Football Association to launch its “Football For All” campaign, which is credited with dealing with a large element of the problem in the years since.
In his letter, McGimpsey said Lennon had shown courage by continuing to play international football after a “disgraceful episode” at Windsor Park the year before when he received sectarian abuse from jeering fans.
“After this latest outrage, I respect and fully appreciate your reasons for now deciding to bow out of international football. Most people in the position in which you have found yourself that day would have done the same,” he said.
