Bans follow Lennon hanging image

Celtic footballer Neil Lennon has received several threats in the past

The operators of an independent Rangers supporters website have banned three members after a cartoon depicting a hanging Celtic footballer was posted.

A cartoon of midfielder Neil Lennon appeared on the Follow Follow website.

The site's editor described the posting as "juvenile" and said it was removed when it came to his attention.

Mark Dingwall said he could not prove it but two people believed to be involved were Celtic supporters and one was a Rangers fan.

Offensive posts

He said: "Juvenile posts of this nature are removed when brought to our attention or become the subject of a warning to users.

"In this thread a public warning was issued to all users to desist from making or responding to offensive posts.

"Three users involved in the thread have been banned from the website.

"Two of those banned appear to be Celtic fans, one appears to be a Rangers fan."

Anti-sectarian campaigner, Donald Gorrie MSP, said although the message was childish and distasteful, it was vital to clamp down on such behaviour.

Supporter reputations will be tarnished and I think it is in their interest to get the thing sorted out Donald Gorrie MSP

Lennon played in Celtic's 3-0 victory over Rangers on Saturday.

The cartoon, which depicted the footballer being hung from a scaffold, carried a caption with the words "Hang Neil Lennon, hang him high"."

Speaking to BBC Radio's Scotland Live programme, Mr Gorrie said: "I do think there has to be a clear boundary that people do not go across without getting into serious trouble.

"It doesn't do the two football clubs, or the supporters associations, any good.

"People will think they are all a complete lot of bampots - rather than just a few bampots and a lot of decent people who support a particular club."

Sectarian slogans

Mr Gorrie added: "Supporter reputations will be tarnished and I think it is in their interest to get the thing sorted out."

Footymad, which runs the Follow Follow site, said it acted to remove the image when it came to its attention.

Lennon has been the target of sectarian abuse in the past.

Last year vandals sprayed "You are a dead man Lennon" along with sectarian slogans outside his Glasgow home.

The 34-year-old Catholic quit as a Northern Ireland international in 2002 after a death threat.

The Follow Follow website describes itself as an independent online Glasgow Rangers fanzine.