Raith Rovers face disciplinary action over Neil Lennon ‘penis’ jibe as SPFL reviews deleted post.

Raith Rovers could face disciplinary consequences after posting and quickly deleting a controversial message aimed at Dunfermline manager Neil Lennon following Friday night’s Fife derby.

The Championship sides played out a goalless draw at Stark’s Park, but the match was followed by an unexpected social media controversy involving the home club and the former Celtic and Hibernian boss.

The incident began after Lennon became frustrated with a major refereeing decision during the contest. He believed Dunfermline should have been awarded a penalty when striker Olly Thomas was caught by Raith goalkeeper Josh Rae inside the penalty area.

Raith tweeted the above image with a cheeky message taking aim at Lennon (Image: Social media unknown)

Lennon made his feelings clear after the final whistle, expressing anger that the officials had not pointed to the spot. As he left the pitch, he was also subjected to comments from Raith supporters.

The Dunfermline manager responded by holding his thumb and forefinger close together. His gesture was interpreted by some as a suggestion that Raith were a small club compared with their Fife rivals.

Raith’s official account on X subsequently joined the exchange by publishing a photograph of Lennon’s gesture alongside a provocative caption asking: “How big is your penis, Neil?”

The post was removed shortly afterwards, but its deletion did little to prevent the message from spreading. It had already attracted widespread attention online, with supporters and football commentators reacting to the club’s attempt at a cheeky response.

SFA could examine controversial post

According to The Courier, Raith could now face potential disciplinary action because of the deleted message. The publication reports that the incident may fall under Rule 73 of the Scottish FA’s Judicial Panel Protocol, which concerns conduct capable of bringing football into disrepute.

The regulation covers comments considered discriminatory or offensive when published through interviews, internet blogs, social networking platforms, micro-blogging websites or other forms of communication likely to attract publicity.

The wording of the rule means that football-related comments made on social media can come under scrutiny, even when they are posted by a club’s official account and subsequently removed.

Josh Rae of Raith Rovers tangles with Olly Thomas of Dunfermline in the box(Image: Alan Rennie/Shutterstock)

The report also states that the SPFL match delegate who attended Friday’s fixture at Stark’s Park has been informed about the incident. The Scottish FA’s match compliance officer is expected to consider what action, if any, should follow.

At this stage, no final disciplinary decision has been confirmed. However, the possibility of an investigation places Raith under scrutiny after what initially appeared to be a humorous attempt to respond to Lennon’s gesture.

The controversy has also raised questions about the responsibilities of official club social media accounts. While football clubs regularly use humour and rivalry to engage supporters, comments directed at individuals can create problems when they are considered offensive or inappropriate under the governing body’s rules.

Lennon furious over penalty decision

The social media exchange followed a frustrating evening for Lennon and his Dunfermline players.

The visitors were unhappy that they were not awarded a penalty after Thomas was involved in a collision with Raith goalkeeper Rae. Lennon believed the contact was clearly inside the penalty area and that the referee should have awarded a spot-kick.

Speaking after the match, the Dunfermline manager described the decision as an obvious penalty and criticised the officials for failing to award it.

He said he had to be careful with his words but could not understand how the incident had not been judged a foul worthy of a penalty. Lennon acknowledged that the referee did not have the advantage of television replays during the match, but insisted that the decision should have been straightforward.

He also pointed out that the assistant referee was close to the incident and should have been able to provide assistance.

According to Lennon, Rae made contact with Thomas around the 18-yard line but failed to get anywhere near the ball. He questioned what other decision the referee could reasonably have made.

The former Celtic manager was also unhappy with the overall standard of officiating throughout the evening, suggesting that the referee had delivered a poor performance.

Dunfermline manager praises his players

Despite his frustration with the penalty incident, Lennon found some positives in his team’s performance and was pleased with the determination shown by his players.

The goalless result meant Dunfermline had to settle for a point away from home, but Lennon felt his side had demonstrated a strong desire to secure victory.

He suggested that his team had received a backhanded compliment because, in his opinion, they were the only side genuinely attempting to win the match.

Lennon acknowledged that Raith had defended deep and made the contest difficult by limiting the available space. However, he accepted that Dunfermline would need to learn how to deal with opponents adopting that approach in future matches.

The manager remained proud of his players for continuing to push despite the difficult conditions and the challenge presented by their opponents.

He also highlighted the clean sheet as another positive from the evening, alongside the point collected on the road.

For Lennon, the result was something his team could accept before turning their attention to the next fixture.

However, the controversy surrounding the referee’s decision and Raith’s deleted social media post has ensured that the derby has attracted attention beyond the Championship points shared between the clubs.

Raith’s attempt to turn Lennon’s gesture into an online joke could now become a matter for the football authorities. The SPFL delegate has reportedly been made aware, while the SFA compliance officer will consider the next steps.

Whether the governing body decides to pursue disciplinary action remains unclear. What is certain is that the deleted message has generated significant attention and placed the club’s social media conduct under examination.

A match that finished without a goal has therefore developed into a wider debate about rivalry, online behaviour and the responsibilities football clubs have when communicating publicly. Raith may have intended its post as a humorous response, but the governing body’s rules could make the incident more serious than the club initially expected.