St Mirren blast 'unacceptable' Gallagher Lennon abuse as son of ex-Celtic manager targeted by own fan

18-year-old midfielder allegedly abused while playing on loan with Dumbarton

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson has branded the alleged abuse suffered by Gallagher Lennon as "unacceptable" and insisted the focus should be on the youngster's football ability.

Police are probing claims that the 18-year-old midfielder, who is currently on loan at Dumbarton, was subjected to vile taunts which referenced bullets in the post and death threats received by his father, the former Celtic manager Neil Lennon. It has been reported that the player's mother, Irene, overheard the comments, which supposedly came from the Dumbarton end during the match against East Fife in Methil on Saturday, and reported them to the club.

Dumbarton issued a statement supporting the player this week, and now Saints boss Robinson has expressed his anger as he addressed the matter during his pre-match press conference ahead of his side's trip to Kilmarnock on Saturday. “It's not acceptable, Robinson said. "I have spoken to Gall, he'll have all of our support as always. I've spoken to his family and they know my thoughts. What we should be talking about with Gallagher is he's the captain of the Northern Ireland U19s, he's been fantastic for Dumbarton, and they've handled the situation very well. I'd rather talk about how well he is doing as a young player rather than give credit to anything else.”

Gallagher Lennon, the son of ex-Celtic manager Neil Lennon, is currently on loan at Dumbarton from St Mirren. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Dumbarton, who are fourth in League Two, issued statement on Wednesday which read: "Dumbarton Football Club can confirm that we are aware of an alleged incident that took place at our match away to East Fife on Saturday, and this is being investigated by Police Scotland. The club has, and will continue, to offer support to the player involved and his family. Dumbarton Football Club adheres to a zero tolerance policy and will cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.”