Hibs’ Head Coach Neil Lennon insists that he wants to meet the individual who threw a pound coin at him just before full-time at Tynecastle last night.
With 10-man Hibs hanging on, Hearts appeared to have scored a late winner only for the assistant referee to rule the effort out for offside.
Lennon turned to the home supporters behind the dugout and gestured for them to calm down before a one pound coin struck him on the face.
He fell to the ground and was treated for his injury before play resumed and the game finished in a 0-0 draw.
Despite the incident, Lennon refused to blame Hearts for the action of one supporter.
Earlier, the Hearts goalkeeper was punched by a spectator in the Roseburn stand as he went to retrieve the ball and Lennon was also quick to condemn the person responsible.
After the final whistle, an angry Lennon said: My jaw is throbbing, I’m very, very angry. I’m fizzing about it.
“It’s disgraceful. I don’t blame the club. You can’t legislate for the hatred of some individuals or the badness. What possesses people to throw things on to a football pitch I will never know.
“I believe Zlamal was hit as well. It’s just ridiculous. We don’t defend that behaviour from our supporters as well. Hopefully both individuals will be singled out.
“I would like to meet the individual who threw the coin at me some day, because I am not happy about it at all.”
When asked what he would say to him, Lennon said: “It’s not for public consumption, trust me. I don’t know if I would saying anything to him.
“The referee might have had some missiles thrown at him as well, I don’t know who by.
“It’s blackening the name of both clubs and Scottish football. This should be a showpiece game, it was feisty and intimidating, everything you expect, but if people can’t behave themselves they should be banned, singled out, embarrassed and humiliated, because they have humiliated the club.
“It was really light-hearted the whole game, there was no malice, a bit of banter between me and a couple of fans.
“Obviously there was some heavy stuff as well but nothing over the top. So where that came from I don’t know.
“Their mode of thinking will be ‘he brings it on himself’. Sorry, that does not wash, and that’s why I am angry. And it could have been a lot worse.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
