'Celtic are Champions for a reason,' Barry Ferguson

Celtic, sitting comfortably with a 17-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership, travel to their rivals’ ground on Sunday, but theRangers manager Barry Ferguson has unsurprisingly made it clear his side won’t offer a guard of honour.

“It’s always difficult for the team that comes up short,” Brendan Rodgers 

Speaking in his pre-match media conference, Rodgers said: “The Guard of Honour thing, it’s not a rule, that’s the first thing I would say. It’s not in the rules that you have to do it. And I think that when two clubs in the rivalry are so emotional, it’s always difficult for the team that comes up short.

“I’m a little bit of a traditionalist, because there’s a lot of things that are going out of our game”

“So, it’s one that I’m relaxed either way on it. It’s one where I’m a little bit of a traditionalist, because there’s a lot of things that are going out of our game over in these isles that are just moving away from the traditions of the great managers and the great people that ran our game and were successful in our game.”

“Showing that humility to the other team, whatever the rivalry is, it’s a mark of respect,” Brendan Rodgers

Rodgers added: “And I always think if you’re a champion to show, or not a champion, showing that humility to the other team, whatever the rivalry is, it’s a mark of respect. But like I said, Celtic theRangers, it’s an emotional rivalry. And if you come up short quite a lot, then it can be a challenge for you and to justify that with your supporters. But as I said, I’m a traditionalist.”

“These are the things that have been in our game for many, many years. And like I said, there’s no rule to it, but I’m relaxed either way on it really.”

Ibrox boss Barry Ferguson, who may have Leon Balogun return in protective gear after his cheekbone injury against Athletic Club from Bilbao, has firmly dismissed the idea of giving Brendan Rodgers’ title-winning Celtic side a guard of honour.

“I don’t know why there’s always a big clamour about a guard of honour”

“I don’t know why there’s always a big clamour about a guard of honour, it’s never happened in the past, whether it’s Celtic, whether it’s theRangers,” he said. “I think it’ll always just remain that way,” Ferguson said.

“Celtic are Champions for a reason, because they’ve been the most consistent throughout the season. But in terms of a guard of honour I don’t see it. It’s never happened in the past. So why should it happen going forward?”

Conor Spence

Support The Celtic Star telling Celtic’s wonderful history – Celtic in the Thirties 

Both volumes of Celtic in the Thirties are also available on Amazon Kindle, with the links to order below. Signed copies of both volumes are still available on hardback from Celtic Star Books and if you would like author to add a special dedication to your copies please let us know. Order hardback copies HERE or for Amazon Kindle click by clicking on the images below…