CELTIC GUARD OF HONOR DEBATE IS PATHETIC, BUT RANGERS SHOULD GIVE THEM ONE
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Celtic’s post split fixtures were announced last night, to very little fanfare.
The annual farce that is not knowing where and when Celtic will play their last 5 games of the season until mere days before said fixtures, continues unabated.
Celtic just need one more point to become champions once again.
With the greatest of respect to our opposition, I expect we will achieve that against Dundee United at Tannadice in our next league game.
Celtic Deserve a Guard of Honor, and It Should Motivate our Opponents
In the unlikely event however, that Celtic lose at Tannadice, and coupled with the even more unlikely event that Rangers win at Ibrox, then we have the very scenario I talked about in a previous blog.
The scenario that the authorities seem hell-bent on avoiding at all costs: Celtic could win the league at Ibrox.
What is far more likely though is that we win the title at Dundee United on April 26th.
We would then travel to Ibrox, ironically enough, to face the forces of the Dark Side, on Star Wars Day, May 4th.
I guess if ever there’s a good day to visit such a “wretched hive of scum and villainy” then May 4th is it!
As a Celtic fan still traumatized by growing up in the early 90s, I take nothing for granted, but let’s just assume that we do, indeed, secure the title at Tannadice on April 26th.
The debate then shifts to something even more pathetic: Should Rangers give Celtic a guard of honor, ahead of kick off on May 4th?
Yes, they should. Of course they should. It’s called respect. It’s the sportsman-like thing to do, it is the honorable thing to do (the hint is in the name).
However, we already know they won’t. Pettiness, childish grandstanding and outright hatred are pretty much all they have left in what is sure to be yet another trophyless season for the sister-seducers over at Ibrox.
Now, personally, I’m not bothered if Rangers give Celtic a Guard of Honor or not.
As I have said many times previously, we do not need any validation from that reanimated carcass of a football club, or their fans.
I do however, believe that Rangers should give Celtic a guard of honor, but my reasoning may surprise you.
Barry Ferguson has, in the absence of actual coaching acumen, focused a lot on attitude, aggression, desire and other intangible, emotion-driven aspects to Rangers’ play since becoming manager.
Now, if what you want from your players is blood and thunder, then I can think of few better motivators than the indignity of being forced to honor your most detested rivals as champions, as your superiors, before kick-off.
It’s not a teaching methodology I necessarily believe in, but many “old school” coaches say that sometimes players need to be shamed, reminded of their failure, and made to face the fan anger that this generates directly.
Doing so would motivate them to do all they can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Certainly, if the roles were reversed, and I was the Celtic manager (implausible I know), and I was welcoming Rangers to Celtic Park as champions (even more implausible, I know but bear with me), I would order my players to give them a guard of honor.
It’s the price we pay for failing to win the championship, and its the gentlemanly thing to do.
And, I would hope, it motivates my players to then go on and play to their absolute best, to show everyone that, in the players’ eyes, next year will be different.
So yeah, Rangers should give Celtic a guard of honor, not just for us but also for their own benefit. And quite frankly there’s enough hatred and hostility out there already.
A wee bit of respect and acknowledgement could go a long way.