Lee Johnson has held his hands up for starting the extraordinary Tynecastle rammy with Steven Naismith that brought the Premiership season to an explosive end. But the Hibs boss is adamant the chaotic scenes were little more than a storm in a tea cup.
Johnson avoided an SFA ban for his part in the melee that saw him and defender Rocky Bushiri red carded along with Hearts goalkeeper coach Paul Gallacher and sub goalie Ross Stewart. The Easter Road manager appeared to aim a dig in the ribs at his opposite number as the capital derby ended in a 1-1 draw, sparking a full-on ruck with players and staff from both sides. Speaking for the first time since the Hampden tribunal, Johnson claimed he “didn’t actually do a lot”.
Bushiri was hit with a two game ban for his part in the melee. But Johnson, who immediately after the game admitted the two managers “don’t like each other very much”, escaped with a slap on the wrists. And asked about the outcome at Hibs training camp in Marbella last night the 42-year-old said: “Listen, I didn’t want to be banned and I didn’t want Rocky to be banned.
