Bonnyloyal
Well-Known Member
NEIL LENNON and Ally McCoist’s touchline rammy will forever be remembered as one of the most bitter exchanges in Old Firm history.
The derby was already guaranteed a place in Scottish football’s hall of shame with three red cards, 13 cautions and 34 fans arrested at Parkhead.
1
Neil Lennon and Ally McCoist square up on the touchline
In the days after, Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond waded into the controversy by summoning Celtic and Rangers chiefs for a crisis summit.
It was bedlam in our game — and amid the astonishing rancour it was easy to forget Celtic had actually won the Scottish Cup replay courtesy of a Mark Wilson goal.
There was also one major question on everyone’s lips from the Lennon-McCoist dust-up that night on March 2, 2011.
What did Gers No 2 McCoist say to the Celtic boss to provoke a furious confrontation and leave backroom men from either side desperately pulling them apart?
To this day McCoist and Lennon have never confirmed it. But Alan Thompson knows.
He was by Lennon’s side for every one of the incredible seven derbies that season, including two in the Scottish Cup and a League Cup final.
Thompson said: “One of the main talking points of that season was the Lenny v McCoist battle.
"The first game at Ibrox was a classic which ended 2-2.
“It was a great result for us because we finished the game with ten men with big Fwather Forthter getting sent off.
“That game was also the birth of ‘The Broony’ which became a very iconic celebration as Scott Brown scored and stood with his hands in the air directly in front of El Hadji Diouf, almost face to face.
“Scotty said afterwards that it was the best yellow card he had ever received in his whole career!
“The Scottish Cup fifth round replay was back at ours and if the first had been ill-tempered, then this was to be known as ‘the shame game’ — with players almost getting locked up by the police off the pitch and a few red cards thrown in for good measure.
“Rangers defenders Madjid Bougherra and Steven Whittaker both saw red with Diouf getting up to his old tricks and he saw red also.
“The game from start to finish was absolute mayhem. It’s not as if these games are normally good-tempered but this was extra spiteful.
“McCoist at the time pointed the finger at Lenny regarding what happened between them.
BETTING SPECIAL - BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS AND FREE BETS
"He said Lenny acted over- aggressively, which wasn’t the case in my opinion, and I broke them up.
“What really started it off was Diouf gave our physiotherapist a hard shoulder and it escalated from there.
“Brown took a few kicks and Kris Commons got clattered in front of our dugout, which sent our emotions sky high.
“All the way through the game Diouf was dishing out verbals on everyone in a hooped shirt and even directed a few to myself and Lenny on the sidelines.
“Don’t forget it was Lenny and me opposing him exactly eight years previously when Celtic played against Liverpool in the Uefa Cup match at Parkhead — and he infamously spat at Celtic fans.
“You look at Diouf and he was pretty decent.
"The guy had been with some good clubs but in my opinion the only reason Rangers brought him in on loan was to wind the Celtic fans up.
“He was brought in by Rangers for the shock value.
“Diouf was ‘on one’ that night and I told him many times to ‘do one’ away from our area as he was constantly trying to sneak in closer to our area to noise us up.
“When the final whistle blew, and we had won the game, all the staff went over to shake hands with the opposing team as you do, and Lenny went to shake Coisty’s hand.
“I was stood so close that I clearly heard Ally tell Lenny, ‘And don’t you be speaking to my f***ing players like that’, only for Lenny to tell him, ‘They’re not your f***ing players, they’re Walter’s.
“It’s never been disclosed what was actually said in over a decade now — but I’m telling you that was the spark that lit the fire and Hell was hot.
“Lenny was right because Walter was the gaffer and Ally was only the No 2 at that time. Ally didn’t take well to that.
“The Rangers boys were all trying to say it was our fault but any team who receives three red cards in one match need to have a long hard look at themselves.”
Thompson was still in shock at what he’d witnessed when he ended up becoming a peacebroker in Lennon’s office post-match.
He said: “After a while everything calmed down and we were all delirious in the dressing room celebrating.
“After doing media interviews I had a shower then went into Lenny’s office, but as I got there I was the only one in there from Celtic.
“Ian Durrant and Kenny McDowall were already sat in there. I already had a good relationship with Kenny from my time at Celtic, so I just broke the ice, ‘Lads what do you want to drink?’, which I think caught them off guard.
“Although I was playing it cool on the outside, inside I was thinking, ‘Where the hell’s Lenny, Dolph (Johan Mjallby) and Parks (Garry Parker)?’
“I’m sat with some slightly p***** off Gers. So the silence was deafening.
“If you are thinking it couldn’t get any more awkward then think again because Coisty strolls in.
“I’m not sure if he’s come for more of same but this was turning very hostile — and I was the odd one out.
“AlI I could think of saying was, ‘Fancy a beer Ally?’.
“God above must have heard my stresses because right on cue the three musketeers arrived. Lenny, big Dolph and Parks were here.
“I have to admit there was a bit of an awkward moment or two.
"But Lenny and Ally then shook hands, walked out of the office, into another room, shut the blinds and had it out with each other like men and then kissed and made up.
“It was all put to bed that night.”
The derby was already guaranteed a place in Scottish football’s hall of shame with three red cards, 13 cautions and 34 fans arrested at Parkhead.
1
Neil Lennon and Ally McCoist square up on the touchline
In the days after, Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond waded into the controversy by summoning Celtic and Rangers chiefs for a crisis summit.
It was bedlam in our game — and amid the astonishing rancour it was easy to forget Celtic had actually won the Scottish Cup replay courtesy of a Mark Wilson goal.
There was also one major question on everyone’s lips from the Lennon-McCoist dust-up that night on March 2, 2011.
What did Gers No 2 McCoist say to the Celtic boss to provoke a furious confrontation and leave backroom men from either side desperately pulling them apart?
To this day McCoist and Lennon have never confirmed it. But Alan Thompson knows.
He was by Lennon’s side for every one of the incredible seven derbies that season, including two in the Scottish Cup and a League Cup final.
Thompson said: “One of the main talking points of that season was the Lenny v McCoist battle.
"The first game at Ibrox was a classic which ended 2-2.
“It was a great result for us because we finished the game with ten men with big Fwather Forthter getting sent off.
“That game was also the birth of ‘The Broony’ which became a very iconic celebration as Scott Brown scored and stood with his hands in the air directly in front of El Hadji Diouf, almost face to face.
“Scotty said afterwards that it was the best yellow card he had ever received in his whole career!
“The Scottish Cup fifth round replay was back at ours and if the first had been ill-tempered, then this was to be known as ‘the shame game’ — with players almost getting locked up by the police off the pitch and a few red cards thrown in for good measure.
“Rangers defenders Madjid Bougherra and Steven Whittaker both saw red with Diouf getting up to his old tricks and he saw red also.
“The game from start to finish was absolute mayhem. It’s not as if these games are normally good-tempered but this was extra spiteful.
“McCoist at the time pointed the finger at Lenny regarding what happened between them.
BETTING SPECIAL - BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS AND FREE BETS
"He said Lenny acted over- aggressively, which wasn’t the case in my opinion, and I broke them up.
“What really started it off was Diouf gave our physiotherapist a hard shoulder and it escalated from there.
“Brown took a few kicks and Kris Commons got clattered in front of our dugout, which sent our emotions sky high.
“All the way through the game Diouf was dishing out verbals on everyone in a hooped shirt and even directed a few to myself and Lenny on the sidelines.
“Don’t forget it was Lenny and me opposing him exactly eight years previously when Celtic played against Liverpool in the Uefa Cup match at Parkhead — and he infamously spat at Celtic fans.
“You look at Diouf and he was pretty decent.
"The guy had been with some good clubs but in my opinion the only reason Rangers brought him in on loan was to wind the Celtic fans up.
“He was brought in by Rangers for the shock value.
HAT TRICK Celtic transfer need confirmed by Leverkusen defeat says Hoops boss Postecoglou as pursuit of Reo Hatate heats up
“Diouf was ‘on one’ that night and I told him many times to ‘do one’ away from our area as he was constantly trying to sneak in closer to our area to noise us up.
“When the final whistle blew, and we had won the game, all the staff went over to shake hands with the opposing team as you do, and Lenny went to shake Coisty’s hand.
“I was stood so close that I clearly heard Ally tell Lenny, ‘And don’t you be speaking to my f***ing players like that’, only for Lenny to tell him, ‘They’re not your f***ing players, they’re Walter’s.
“It’s never been disclosed what was actually said in over a decade now — but I’m telling you that was the spark that lit the fire and Hell was hot.
“Lenny was right because Walter was the gaffer and Ally was only the No 2 at that time. Ally didn’t take well to that.
“The Rangers boys were all trying to say it was our fault but any team who receives three red cards in one match need to have a long hard look at themselves.”
Thompson was still in shock at what he’d witnessed when he ended up becoming a peacebroker in Lennon’s office post-match.
He said: “After a while everything calmed down and we were all delirious in the dressing room celebrating.
“After doing media interviews I had a shower then went into Lenny’s office, but as I got there I was the only one in there from Celtic.
“Ian Durrant and Kenny McDowall were already sat in there. I already had a good relationship with Kenny from my time at Celtic, so I just broke the ice, ‘Lads what do you want to drink?’, which I think caught them off guard.
“Although I was playing it cool on the outside, inside I was thinking, ‘Where the hell’s Lenny, Dolph (Johan Mjallby) and Parks (Garry Parker)?’
“I’m sat with some slightly p***** off Gers. So the silence was deafening.
“If you are thinking it couldn’t get any more awkward then think again because Coisty strolls in.
“I’m not sure if he’s come for more of same but this was turning very hostile — and I was the odd one out.
“AlI I could think of saying was, ‘Fancy a beer Ally?’.
“God above must have heard my stresses because right on cue the three musketeers arrived. Lenny, big Dolph and Parks were here.
“I have to admit there was a bit of an awkward moment or two.
"But Lenny and Ally then shook hands, walked out of the office, into another room, shut the blinds and had it out with each other like men and then kissed and made up.
“It was all put to bed that night.”
Last edited: