Neil Lennon attacked by fan during match

Celtic manager Neil Lennon was attacked by a fan who leapt from the crowd during his side's 3-0 defeat of Hearts at Tynecastle. Though the victory ensures Celtic are still in with a chance of pipping Rangers to the Scottish Premier League title, the match will be remembered for the assault on Lennon four minutes after half time.

The incident occurred at the Edinburgh ground seconds after Celtic's second goal when a man jumped from a section of Hearts fans in the main stand and made a beeline for Lennon. Before police and stewards could intervene the man appeared to strike the Celtic boss. He was then bundled to the ground, handcuffed and taken to a nearby police stadium.

The shocking scene sparked fury among the Celtic fans with several outbreaks of fighting in the stands between supporters and police. Order was finally restored and the match continued with Celtic refusing to be put off their stride by the assault.

Celtic right-back Mark Wilson later paid tribute to Lennon, who earlier this year was sent two parcel bombs that were intercepted by police. "He's had to deal with a lot this season," said Wilson. "He must have some strength of character to deal with things like this. I've just never seen it before in a game environment and it is very hard take I would imagine for him, but he is a strong character. The fans are pretty close to the dugout anyway, but it shouldn't happen that they can break through security and have a go at the coaching team."

Lothian and Borders Police, who will be hugely embarrassed by the dismal lapse in security, later released a statement in which they said: "A number of incidents took place during this match including some violent disorder. [We] will fully investigate all of the incidents that occurred at the match this evening and will work closely with both football clubs and the SPL."

The 39-year-old Lennon, a Catholic who was born in Northern Ireland, has been the victim of a hate campaign throughout his football career, stemming from an incident many years ago when he said he would like to play international football for a united Ireland. This allegedly resulted in a death threat from the Loyalist Volunteer Force, a protestant paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. Lennon retired from the international game when he received the threat in 2002.

Celtic assistant coach Johan Mjallby said after the incident at Tynecastle that he hoped Lennon would persevere in his role: " He is shaken right now. But, for all our sakes, we are desperate for him to continue doing his work... You can never know what the guy is going to have in his hand, so it is shocking and you are obviously worried about Neil's safety. He is okay, but he's shaken and it's a proper disgrace. However, he is his own man and loves what he is doing. You have seen scenes on the telly all over the world, but I haven't myself been involved in anything like this." ·