Stand up for the champions!
After weeks and weeks of waiting, Celtic finally confirmed their Premiership crown when they thrashed Dundee United at the end of April.
Say it quietly, but perhaps it would have been great for Brendan Rodgers’ side to further delay that title, because the following game was the Glasgow derby.
But, rather than win the title at Ibrox, Celtic were able to celebrate in Rangers’ backyard on Sunday by recording a 1-1 draw.
Given that nothing was riding on the match, on paper, a lot of the talk was around whether the opposition would give a ‘guard of honour’ to the champions.
That was put forward to Ally McCoist, and he was having none of it.
Ally McCoist shuts down ‘guard of honour’ talk between Celtic and Rangers
At the end of the day, why should this concern Celtic, or why should they be worried about having to provide a guard of honour to the champions in the future?
History suggests that Celtic are Scotland’s most successful club, and they have also won 14 out of the last 15 titles.
Either way, in discussion with former Republic of Ireland international Andy Townsend, ex-Rangers man McCoist just wasn’t liking the guard of honour talk.
“You know that guard of honour that Chelsea gave Liverpool,” said Townsend. “That fired them up a little bit, because Chelsea came flying out from the blocks. Obviously, their need was greater on the day, but they played really well.
“Maybe, Ally, maybe that’s something we are going to have to see in the Glasgow derby. I am being serious now. The guard of honour.”
McCoist starts laughing: “You know what you should do. You are right. See behind the goals at both ends. The fans should have a cup of tea and a get-together. A cup of tea and a cake.
“It will never catch on. I don’t care what anybody says. Guard of honour? Never in a million years will it catch on.”
Andy Townsend would ‘love’ Celtic and Rangers ‘guard of honour’
On the same weekend Celtic were crowned champions of Scotland, down in England, the same occurred, with Liverpool securing title number 20.
On the same day as the Glasgow derby, Liverpool were given a guard of honour by Chelsea, including former Hoops man, Virgil van Dijk.
But, given the hatred between Celtic and Rangers, Townsend would like to see the guard of honour deployed.
“If there was a guard of honour between Celtic and Rangers, the team that runs, they wouldn’t run through the middle, they would run around the outside,” stated Townsend.
“Which team would do it first? That would be, ‘we aren’t going to be the first team to do it. If we have come second in the league or haven’t won it. No, no, no. We aren’t doing that’.
“I would love to see it, though. It would be like theatre, that, wouldn’t it?! I would love it.”
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
