Kris Boyd: Hibernian’s treatment of Neil Lennon was a ‘disgrace’

Kris Boyd has branded Hibernian’s treatment of Neil Lennon “nothing short of a disgrace” and said that the club’s chief executive Leeann Dempster has “a lot to answer for” in the wake of Lennon’s departure from Easter Road earlier in the week.

Kilmarnock's Kris Boyd has blamed Hibernian for their treatement of Neil Lennon.

In his column for the Scottish Sun, Kilmarnock striker Boyd criticised Hibernian’s handling of the situation after Lennon was suspended by the club last Friday. After Eddie May and Grant Murray were placed in temporary charge of the first team for the victory away to St. Mirren, Hibs announced that Lennon and assistant Garry Parker had left by mutual consent on Wednesday.

He said: “Given what [Lennon] has done for that football club since the day he walked in, the way he was treated in the end was nothing short of a disgrace.”

Boyd also accused the club of showing a lack of ‘respect’ to the man who guided the Easter Road side to fourth last season.

“If Lennon said something untoward to Dempster, and there was some sort of incident behind the scenes, then they might well have had grounds to suspend him.

“But how on earth can they do that and then come out a week later and say nothing happened — and then still part company? Clearly there was going to be no other outcome after he was suspended, but for me the whole thing stinks to high heaven.

“There has to be some sort of explanation given to the supporters. Lennon deserved more respect, and so do they.”

Boyd went on to call the club’s signing policy a “shambles” and suggested that of the 33 players signed during Lennon’s tenure the manager may have been “responsible for only seven or eight of them.”

The striker, who missed Kilmarnock’s Friday night’s defeat to Hearts after being red carded against Aberdeen, questioned the role of Dempster in the saga.

“Chief executive Leeann Dempster has a lot to answer for,” he continued.

“If I was a Hibees supporter, I’d want to know exactly what made the club part company with a boss who was doing a good job.

“Typically, with the way the game is these days, there are people inside Easter Road who should be accountable, but clearly are not.”

Lennon’s departure from Easter Road was announced in a club statement which stated that the management duo had “not been dismissed and have not resigned. The suspension, put in place to allow an internal review, was lifted by the club as part of this agreement.”