Brown urges Lennon to keep cool head, but has sympathy

REFEREES looking for a quiet evening should look elsewhere, Celtic v Hearts matches are rarely quiet affairs.

In the first head-to-head of the year it was Hearts manager Jim Jefferies who was banished to the stand and punished by the SFA after he vehemently protested the Glasgow side's opening goal. The return fixture sparked fury in Neil Lennon and fuelled a fire that is still raging between his club and the game's administrators. But as they prepare to square up again, Hearts assistant manager Billy Brown says if Celtic feel hard done by now, they should try life as a non-Old Firm side.

"I think there are one or two decisions that have gone against Celtic recently but really, Neil should come and look at the other clubs. We've had loads of decisions against us over the years against Rangers and Celtic. I think on balance, if he sits back and looks at Celtic, I don't think they get any worse decisions than anyone else."

But despite his assertion that the current rantings from Parkhead are based on paranoia, he adds that people have to understand that passions can run high on such occasions.

"The Celtic and Rangers jobs are difficult. OK, they may have the most resources but they also have the greatest expectation. Second is a failure in Glasgow so it has not been easy for him. But, I'm sure that given time, things will work out well for him. He's a good football man and, contrary to his public image, he's a really good lad.

"Without doubt, I was like that when I was younger and I'm like that now I'm older as well! It's just recently that I've realised things and it's an age thing. I like to think that I have mellowed a bit but I don't think Neil can change his personality. He has a passion for the game.

"Everybody in the dug-out feels hard done by at times. We all think we get the decisions against us. Neil has a great passion and obviously has a great love of Celtic but I'm sure that somewhere along the line he might take stock and think that he might have to change a bit. But it's hard when you're out there and involved in the game. It's hard for someone like Neil who played the way he played. He's going to take a wee while to settle down."

But for all the passion, Brown does feel that managers and players have to rein in some of the outbursts. "We can't have people running amok in the dugout and acting like raving lunatics. I do appreciate that at times we did that," he says.