Bolton FC keep their coach despite allegations he threatened his mistress with a knife & paid her $10k to shut up
Bolton Football Club have decided against sacking Neil Lennon as coach
after it was revealed three days ago that the BBC Pundit allegedly
threatened his mistress 20 years his junior with a knife when she told
him she would tell of their romance to his wife. The Bolton coach even
allegedly offered to give his mistress $10,000 to shut up according to
reports from Sunday Mirror.
According to the report, he met his mistress, who police have refused to
reveal her identity, in a pub and the romance kicked off from there. He
was said to be open about the affair in front of colleagues, inviting
the girl to stay in the Bolton team hotel the night before match days.
Things went sour after the mistress found out 44 year old Lennon had
been dating a third woman, and she told him she will reveal their
relationship to his wife. Lennon then turned nasty, telling her someone
“could” put a knife to her throat if she spoke out.
A week later he offered her £10,000 cash to end their relationship. She
did not take the money.
“He told me he’d pay the money and I could start afresh,” said Kim (the
imaginary name given by the mirror). "I honestly thought it was his way
of looking after me. He’d used to say he loved me, that I made him a
better person. I believed this was his way of helping me move on. But I
decided I didn’t want his money. I didn’t want to be bought.”
Days later, with Lennon in Ipswich overseeing a Bolton defeat, Kim knocked on Irene’s door and confessed to the affair.
Kim claimed:
“When I told Irene about what had been going on, her reaction was one of
sadness more than surprise. She invited me in and we talked things
through. She even poured me a glass of wine. I sent her a voice
recording I’d made of Neil’s rants at me.
"She apologised on his behalf.
Lennon told police he was being blackmailed, even though Irene McCloy,
his partner and mother of his child, had already been told of the affair
by Kim.
Kim said: “Neil Lennon’s ruined my life. He told me he loved me and made
me feel part of his life. But just like he has cheated on Irene, he was
doing the same to me. When I found out, he became a monster.
"He made me fear for my life. He set powerful lawyers on me – and I
found a police officer challenging my behaviour.
"But no one is too powerful to bury the truth.”
After conducting investigations privately, Bolton Wanderers football club released the following statement.
''Bolton Wanderers Football Club can announce that they have now
concluded an internal investigation into an article published in The
Sunday Mirror on Sunday 20 December. The club has dealt with the matter
internally and acted accordingly, details of which will remain private.
Neil Lennon will remain in charge of the first team squad. The club will
be making no further comment on the matter."
