Quit fears for Celtic boss Neil Lennon as death threats and Old Firm row take toll

Neil Lennon finds himself caught at the centre of a gathering storm today ahead of a crunch meeting to determine the future of Scottish football’s Old Firm derby.

Lennon’s future as Celtic manager has been left in the balance after he was forced to draft in round-the-clock personal security because of a series of sinister death threats.

However, the former Northern Ireland international seems determined not to be forced out, despite the sectarian hate campaign — and yesterday received the backing of one of his leading players.

The latest twist came when Lennon was forced to pull out of a trip to Co Donegal at the weekend because of concerns over his safety.

It follows a turbulent week for the Old Firm which has seen both Glasgow clubs in the spotlight following chaotic scenes at last Wednesday’s explosive Scottish Cup replay.

A high-level meeting involving the Scottish Executive and officials from both clubs will be held today to discuss the game and thrash out how to avoid similar scenes in future fixtures.

The teams meet again in the League Cup final at Hampden Park in 12 days’ time.

Hanging over that fixture is the long-term future of Lennon, who has been repeatedly targeted by bigoted thugs since joining Celtic as a player in late 2000.

The latest threat came last Friday when a suspicious package, later identified as a hoax nail- bomb, was intercepted at a sorting office in Ayrshire.

Earlier this year bullets were sent in the post to Lennon and two other Catholic Northern Ireland players at the club, Paddy McCourt and Niall McGinn.