LENNON SLAMS BITTER SMITH

NEIL LENNON has slammed whinging Walter Smith for controversial comments before today’s Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden.

The former Ibrox boss claimed his old club had every right to nurse a bitterness over the way Scottish football had treated them following their 2012 liquidation.

Ex-Celtic gaffer Lennon insisted Smith’s comments were unnecessary, inflammatory and little more than propaganda in the build-up to an already powderkeg encounter at the national stadium.

And he believes Smith and “Rangers” should concentrate on looking forward for their club rather than trying to portray themselves as victims.

Lennon said: “I think what was said is inflammatory and I think it’s unnecessary in a week coming up to a game that has no relevance as to what happened four years ago.

“It is not a fixture that needs more bitterness. Nobody has experienced more bitterness than myself, even before liquidation.

“Those sort of comments are unnecessary when we should be looking forward to the game and “Rangers” should be looking forward to being back in the top flight next season.

“The propaganda is starting, though. Looking at his comments, it was four years ago and everyone is looking forward now and looking on.

“Rangers (sic) got liquidated at the end of the day and the consequence was they went down to the bottom tier of Scottish football and started again.

“So they’ve done that now. It has maybe taken them a year longer than most people would have expected them to, but now they can get it on again.”