Celtic FC manager set to withdraw co-operation with newspapers until end of season
Celtic FC may be considering taking legal action against unspecified media outlets because of what the club perceives to be attempts to draw it into the financial crisis at rivals Rangers.
And the club’s manager, Neil Lennon, warned on BBC Radio Scotland yesterday that he and his players may boycott sections of the newspaper media for the rest of the season.
Warning signs of a possible boycott emerged on Friday when it went largely unreported that Lennon had cancelled his normal Friday pre-match media briefing - for the William Hill Scottish Cup quarter-final tie against Dundee United.
And after yesterday’s 4-0 win over Dundee United, Lennon only gave interviews to BBC Scotland and Sky TV.
The Herald reports today: “Celtic are deeply unhappy about reports in a tabloid newspaper about ticket arrangements for the Old Firm match at Ibrox later this month, although Lennon did not refer to this issue specifically in his interview with BBC Scotland.”
Lennon spoke to BBC Radio Scotland before yesterday’s match and pointed out: "There's a lot of muckraking going on between some hacks. There's going to be a lot of media outlets disappointed, because I and the players are not going to be speaking to you.
"We decided not to do a press conference this week [Friday] because of all the nonsense that's going on elsewhere. So we decided we're not even going to bother with you this week and just get about our business quietly and we'll do our talking on the pitch."
Lennon said he was angry at reports suggesting Celtic were trying to benefit from their Glasgow rival’s financial worries.
He went on: "It's in the hands of the legal team and I'm probably best not to say too much about that, but you know exactly what I'm talking about. It doesn't bother me at all - we just said, right, we're not going to talk to anyone.
"We're going to get our heads down, not look at a newspaper. We want to talk about football and the achievements we're hoping to get over the line this year.
"We'll maintain that for the rest of the season, but I don't care, I'll do it through the club if I have to.
"We're nothing but professional and respectful to the media - and yet they do us no favours. They keep throwing things in our face and keep trying to make confrontations with people that aren't there.
"So, enough is enough - they've not done me any favours over the piece.
"I'm angry, but I'll deal with it in my own way."