For the many in the North who have worked hard to tackle sectarianism in soccer grounds, Lennon's retirement from international soccer is a bitter blow, writes Gerry Moriarty, Northern Editor
You would have to feel sorry for the many genuine people in Northern Ireland involved in football who have been working their hearts out to stamp out sectarianism in the soccer grounds.
The latest threat to Neil Lennon hit them harder than a Roy Keane tackle.
This isn't solely a Protestant or loyalist phenomenon. In the 1970s, a caller claiming to represent the IRA issued a death threat against George Best during a home game, although Best ignored the danger.
In recent years, republicans have agitated against Belfast Celtic playing games against the RUC team. In some cases players and officials of the west Belfast club were intimidated and forced to pull out of games against the police club.
And look back to the Republic of Ireland versus Denmark game in March at Lansdowne Road. Danish international Pieter Lovenkrands was heckled by a section of the crowd because he plays for Glasgow Rangers.
Some people you would expect to know better - some in the Belfast journalistic world - and some you wouldn't expect to know any better criticised Lennon for not doing what Best did in the past and turning out in the green shirt of Northern Ireland on Wednesday night.
Sure, wasn't it obvious that the call came from some bigoted lunatic who had no connection with the Loyalist Volunteer Force was the line in some quarters.
Mr John White, of the Ulster Political Research Group, which is linked to the UDA, questioned Lennon's commitment to Northern Ireland soccer and "his commitment to working for the people of Northern Ireland".
Such a comment was totally at odds with Lennon earlier this week when he spoke about how not only was it an honour "to play for my country" but to also captain the team, as he was due to do in the game against Cyprus on Wednesday until the death threat.
The Glasgow Celtic midfielder was conscious that he had more pressing commitments than those alluded to by Mr White.
He had a responsibility to his family, to his club and to himself.
Perhaps the threat was from a crank but Lennon, a 31-year-old Catholic native of Lurgan, knows full well what it's like to be in the eye of the sectarian storm.
He played over 30 times for Northern Ireland, winning applause from the Windsor Park crowd.
But in those games he was based in England. When he signed for Glasgow Celtic from Leicester, however, the mood quickly soured.
He was booed by sections of the crowd when he played for Northern Ireland against Norway at Windsor Park 18 months ago.
Death threats were issued against him and his family in Lurgan. "RIP Neil Lennon" read the graffiti on one wall against a drawing of a hangman's noose.
Hardly surprising, therefore, that after consulting with his family this week, he said to himself that he didn't need such grief and retired from international football.
Part of his rationale yesterday was that this issue will be a media feature of future games, and that in a sense he was doing the international team a favour by pulling out. Better have the focus on the team and not on Neil Lennon, he explained.
"Nothing changes," observed the then SDLP Deputy First Minister Mr Seamus Mallon in the Assembly at the time of the first Lennon incident 18 months ago.
He remembered being at Windsor in the 1950s and watching Peter McParland, a neighbour of Mr Mallon's and a great English First Division player, being treated to similar sectarian abuse. Sickened by the level of hatred, Mr Mallon never returned to Windsor Park.
And from my own experience I can testify to the cauldron of bigotry that was Windsor Park in 1993 and 1994 when the Republic played Northern Ireland.
Yet you must sympathise with the many people in the North who love the game and their team with the same passion as the Republic's supporters, and who equally deplore the twisted types who regularly undermine Northern Ireland soccer.
None comes more passionate than Mr Jim Boyce, president of the Irish Football Association (IFA), a Protestant and former chairman and a current director of Cliftonville, whose support is mainly Catholic and nationalist. He recalls the atmosphere of "sheer hate" at Windsor Park for those games against the Republic, and pledged at the time to try and beat the bigots.
It hasn't been easy but there have been successes. His is a refreshing voice.
In 1997, after a 28-year security ban he ensured that Cliftonville could again play home games against Linfield - and here we are talking about a rivalry that is akin to the religious, political and sporting intensity of Celtic versus Rangers.
He also helped introduce stricter ticketing arrangements for home internationals. "Each ticket holder is identified, and if anyone acts in a bigoted fashion they can be removed from the ground and banned from future games," he explained.
Much more needs to be done. The Sports Minister, Mr Michael McGimpsey, is working with the IFA in the "boot-out sectarianism" campaign. Mr Boyce said the IFA held coaching schools for 50,000 children this summer from all parts of the North and that much good work on the ground was going unheralded.
Yet, parents would have to think long and hard before bringing their youngsters to a Premier League or international game here.
Equally, Derry City would think longer and harder before abandoning League of Ireland for Irish League soccer.
It will be a constant and uphill battle to root out sectarianism from Northern soccer, maybe even a futile battle. Mr Boyce and those of his forward-thinking colleagues will keep the faith. "After all, we have come a long way in 10 years," he says.
Mr Boyce hopes Lennon will change his mind but will understand if he doesn't. As he points out, this issue goes beyond sport and reflects what is happening on the streets.
And that's the central point. If politicians can't deal with the sectarian trouble at the interfaces how can well-meaning sports people prevent those hatreds transferring to the terraces?