Byline: by PETER JARDINE
JACKIE McNAMARA believes Scottish football has plumbed a dark cesspit this season, with violence fuelled by a more widespread, sinister hatred. The former Scotland international and the country's latest managerial appointment -- he was confirmed yesterday as permanent boss at First Division Partick Thistle -- has been appalled by recent events.
He watched the despicable attack on ex-Celtic team-mate Neil Lennon from the comfort of his own home and, like so many others, wondered where it leaves our game.
McNamara feels the poisonous atmosphere which has enveloped Scottish football this season is far worse than the Old Firm rivalry he experienced in 2003 when the sides went head-to-head on the last day for the title.
Jackie and his Firhill assistant, Simon Donnelly, will be halfway up a volcano in Ecuador this weekend as part of a charity event in memory of their late pal Phil O'Donnell.
A mountain in South America -- volcanic or otherwise -- may yet be the best place to be come Sunday lunchtime after a season in which Tynecastle was only the latest incident to register on our 'Richter Scale of Shame'.
'It has gone crazy for this last wee while,' sighed McNamara. 'It has become a sad state of affairs for our league. You see it on TV this morning. There are things happening all over the world and the main headline is about someone attacking Neil Lennon at Tynecastle.
'It is pretty sad. People down south will be shaking their heads and saying: "What is going on?" 'It is important that the focus is back on football in this country rather than us always speaking about stuff off the park. Things being sent through the post or whatever it is.
'I think we need to get back to people following their own team. Scottish football should be about going along to support their own team. People should be going along to enjoy a game or watch their team, their favourite players with their club.
'It should not be about individuals from the opposition or targeting people. I am talking right across the board.
'I honestly don't know what has caused this escalation. I think it started off as 'pantomime villain' stuff with Neil -- a kind of "good guy, bad guy" laugh. But now I think Andy Walker has summed it up -- Lennon is demonised up here.
'You have to ask these people why? I would get the guy in who did that on Wednesday night and ask him: "Why?" Why is (Lennon) disliked so much? What is their problem with him? That is the best way to do it.' McNamara feels a whole series of issues in society are having an unhealthy influence.
The new media age is a factor -- Thistle themselves were recently among those clubs who had to sack a young player for shocking Facebook comments about Lennon.
It certainly feels in the west of Scotland, particularly, that what surrounds the Old Firm clubs has taken on a more divisive edge.
McNamara agreed: 'I don't think there is any doubt there is a more poisonous atmosphere now than back in 2003 when the Old Firm were head-to-head for the title over the final weekend.
'I think that year was about football -- a football rivalry. It has gone mental now in my opinion. You have things appearing on Facebook, things appearing on the internet, people on chat rooms. It is very sad.
'Don't get me wrong, it is not just one group that is involved here or one set of fans.' Lennon and McNamara were team-mates in a side which memorably took Celtic all the way to Seville for the UEFA Cup Final.
He knows the Parkhead boss well and believes he would think walking away from his post as letting the idiots win.
'I don't think Neil will quit,' said the Partick boss, who has signed a one-year rolling contract.
'I think he would see that as giving in. And he would not want that. Hopefully, this kind of thing will never happen again. Hopefully, it is a long way down the road before he'd think enough was enough.
'People criticise Hearts for not having better security measures in place. I don't think they could ever have envisaged that happening.
'I was watching it myself and, like everyone else I am sure, you just don't think that is what is coming next.
'Neil has had so much to deal with off the field. It is hard enough being the manager of Celtic and coping with all the pressures of trying to win games.
'We are in a sad state at the moment, there is no doubt about that.
'A lot of these things will be a distraction for him. He's trying to focus on football and getting good results for Celtic.
'To have this kind of thing as an added worry, it says a lot about him that he's coping with it.
'Neil was there at his work. We all have to go to work, my workplace now is Firhill -- you media guys have your workplace. I want to come along and enjoy being part of Scottish football.
'It has been an exciting season in the SPL. And that is the way it should be. It should be about that great drama. I was involved in that myself as a player. It was about football then and, for the last wee while, it hasn't.'
'Trek Cotopaxi' is a project in Ecuador which it is hoped will raise [pounds sterling]100,000 for the British Heart Foundation. See www.tributetophil.com
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Stunned and saddened: McNamara yesterday
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