Celtic boss Neil Lennon says Rangers' behaviour towards Scott Brown was 'disgraceful'
Lennon says Brown is a modern-day great who is about to lead his team to an eighth consecutive league title
Thursday 7 November 2019 13:40, UK
Celtic manager Neil Lennon says the treatment his captain Scott Brown received from Rangers players during their Old Firm match was "disgraceful".
Brown has been charged with breaching a rule which states players must act in the best interests of association football following altercations with Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent last Sunday.
Rangers' Andy Halliday was sent off after the full-time whistle after he remonstrated with Brown for celebrating in front of the visiting fans.
The coming together sparked a mass confrontation which has seen both clubs receive a Scottish Football Association charge.
Lennon told Celtic TV: "My players have been exemplary, absolutely exemplary, under immense provocation themselves.
"Scott Brown has nothing to defend himself for. I think his treatment on the pitch was nothing short of disgraceful.
"He has been elbowed, he has been hit in the face, but he takes it, stands up to it, and comes back for more. That's the character of the man.
"You get the usual nonsense and trying to put the same eggs in one basket. We are totally exempt from any blame for this whatsoever."
Lennon has praised the manner in which Brown has captained Celtic, putting them on the verge of an eighth consecutive league title as they chase an unprecedented treble-treble.
Celtic, who have already won the League Cup this season, have a 13-point lead in the Premiership and play Aberdeen in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup on April 14.
Lennon added: "Scott Brown will go down in the annals of history as a great player. I think he's a modern-day great, he knows his way around the pitch and, even at 33, he's still playing some great football.
"He is now captaining us to hopefully eight titles in a row and there's not many who could do that. His consistency, his personality, his character and his football are all fantastic for this club."
Next up for Celtic is a home match against ninth-placed Livingston before the Premiership's post-split fixtures.
