NEIL LENNON claimed it was “absolute nonsense” for Hibs owner Ron Gordon to call for Celtic to be hit by a points deduction following the Boli Bolingoli incident.
The Easter Road supremo wants clubs who breach the SPFL rules on coronavirus to be severely punished, including the loss of points.
Gordon was aiming his comments at Bolingoli and the eight Aberdeen stars when he accused players of “jeopardising the whole game” and he insisted he would support points deductions for clubs when guidelines are ignored.
However, in a clear nod to last month’s situation when the Edinburgh club had to apologise to Ross County for the last-minute cancellation of a pre-season game when coronavirus test results came back late, Lennon, speaking in the Daily Mail, said: “It’s absolute nonsense. People with glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”
Firing his own barbed comment at Gordon that players any club can step out of line, he commented: “They certainly could. We have to take a rain check on that, I think.
“From what I’ve seen on this, the goalposts keep getting moved time and time again.
“We’ve made it pretty clear to the players and the staff and the people around the club what’s permitted and what’s not. Until that changes, we have to adhere to that.”
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon administered a yellow card to the domestic game when Bolingoli travelled to Spain and failed to quarantine for 14 days on his return.
The blundering Belgian defender, whose career at the champions is now in jeopardy, trained with his team-mates at Lennoxtown and even played a cameo role in the second Premiership game of the season when Lennon’s side drew 1-1 with Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
The scheduled league encounters against St Mirren and the Pittodrie side were subsequently cancelled and will have to be fitted into an already-crowded fixture list.
Bolingoli’s inexplicable actions followed the controversy when eight Dons players visited a city centre bar before two tested positive for the virus and six had to be placed in self-isolation.
Former Scotland international striker Kris Boyd and ex-SFA chief executive Gordon Smith, who have both played for Rangers in the past, have joined Gordon in calling for a change of the rules to allow future points deductions in the event of players breaching coronavirus pandemic regulations.
Lennon, as CQN reported last night, added: “People say the club should take responsibility and we have held our hands up. It was something that was outwith the club’s control.
“We have worked tirelessly at the forefront of getting the game up and running. Yes, there is a bit of finger-pointing and a lot of hysteria surrounding it.
“But we have done all we can as a club to adhere to the protocol as best we can. It’s up to the players.”
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