NafisaCeltic are officially champions of Scotland – and Rangers supporters will be dismayed at the prospect of an Ibrox guard of honour.
The Hoops’ resounding victory at Dundee United has mathematically secured Premiership triumph for a fourth consecutive year.
As fate would have it, they face Rangers next in what will be their first match as official champions of the 24/25 season, and a guard of honour is typically customary.
In Glasgow, however, courtesies are seldom extended, and Rangers fans would undoubtedly be furious if Celtic were applauded onto the Ibrox pitch. So what are the rules, and will Celtic receive a guard of honour at the home of their fierce rivals?
What is a guard of honour and is it compulsory?
A guard of honour is when one person or a group of people line up and congratulate other(s) on an achievement. This is usually seen as a sign of respect.
In football, it is NOT compulsory to give the newly crowned champions a guard of honour but it is something that can be agreed between the two clubs beforehand.
There is no mention of it in regulations, and players cannot be forced to take part in a guard of honour if they do not wish to be involved. So, Rangers and Celtic could agree to have one if they so wished, in theory.
Do Celtic expect a guard of honour?
There has been no official statement from Parkhead yet, but comments from seasoned right-back Alistair Johnston to the Scottish Sun last week indicated it wasn’t something players were anticipating.
He said: “Would I expect it? I wouldn’t say I’d expect it. The situation is what it is. We’re not too bothered if someone gives us a guard of honour or not.
“We just want to be lifting a trophy on the final day of the league season — that’s our biggest focus. Whatever happens in between is up to the other teams.
“That’s another thing I’ve learned since I’ve been here, don’t fret about things that are out of your control. If you do, you’re going to lose a lot of sleep, and that can take you down some pretty deep and dark rabbit holes.
“For me, it’s just about controlling what we can control — and that’s something that’s very out of our control.”
Have Rangers and Celtic performed guards of honour recently?
Both sides have had title victories in the 2020s, Rangers winning in 2021 and Celtic claiming the rest. The Hoops declined to give Rangers one during the Covid era, and interim manager at the time, John Kennedy, cited Rangers’ refusal in 2019 as a reason why.
He is quoted by the BBC as saying: “We’ve spoken collectively about it and won’t do it. It’s not about lacking class – it’s nothing like that, because we’re a club who always show class and dignity and do what’s right. I don’t think such a fuss was made about it and I don’t see it as a big issue,” he added.
“Ultimately this same group of players went in as champions and didn’t get the respect at that time if you want to call it that. They’re the same players who’ve been asked to stand there, so we’ve decided as a group we’ll just focus on the game and put that to bed.”
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