Steven Pressley: 'Tynecastle is a special place to play football'

Published Date: 02 October 2011
By Steven Pressley
I DON'T necessarily think there is an edge to Hearts and Celtic games at Tynecastle that makes them different from when Hibernian or Rangers play there.
On all those days there is generally a full stadium and so that same intensity. What happened with Neil Lennon last time went beyond that. It went beyond what anyone would accept. I never had the feeling it would go to that.

You have a situation now where Neil goes there a more unpopular figure than me. He has taken the heat off me in that respect. The first time I went back with Celtic I was surrounded by stewards both going into the ground and coming out. I received some abuse but that is natural. That is football supporters. I wasn't scared for my safety. The honest truth is that, when I have been at Tynecastle I have not received a good reception, but, away from the game, the Hearts fans to a man could not be nicer to me.

People have to understand that matchday abuse, the songs, they are part of the game. Away from the stadium those who do these things are good people. There does have to be a line though and that was crossed with Neil in the last game. The behaviour of that individual was completely unacceptable. When anybody's wellbeing is put under threat then you have a problem. That situation can not be allowed to happen again.

Neil, though, said before he loved the atmosphere and I understand that because it is terrific. The likes of John Hartson and Chris Sutton said in the past that, after the Old Firm game, going to Tynecastle was possibly the greatest test on the fixture list. I know it is a special place to play football. It is intimidating, it is intense, but as a player, a manager, these are the games you enjoy being involved in.

I think that the Hearts-Celtic game should never lose that edge - that is what makes it special. But the last time the teams played at Tynecastle there was a situation that made the environment unacceptable. Edge is fine, but there has to be control. It is similar to being a footballer where you have to control your aggression.

Taken from the Scotsman