Dean Saunders has delivered his verdict on the reported decision by Rangers not to give Celtic a guard of honour in the Old Firm clash on Sunday.
He advised talkSPORT host Max Rushden ‘don’t get involved’ on talkSPORT on Tuesday morning.
Rushden, standing in for Alan Brazil on the Sports Breakfast Show (talkSPORT, Tuesday, 8.15am), said that fans don’t care about guards of honour, but Saunders said that Rushden didn’t understand the unique relationship between Rangers and Celtic fans.
“Don’t get involved,” Saunders said.
“I don’t think they care about the guard of honour at all”, Rushden replied. “The fans will be saying, ‘I’ve won the title I don’t care’.”
“This is Celtic Rangers,” Saunders said. “You’re not understanding the feeling between Rangers and Celtic. I hope Steven Gerrard gets Rangers a bit closer to Celtic next season and they get on level terms.”
OPINION
We would have liked Rangers to give Celtic a guard of honour. It might have gone some way towards trying to stem the feeling of bad blood between the two sides that seems to be getting worse if anything. We didn’t hold out much hope though and Rangers fans are most likely very glad they don’t have to watch that on Sunday. It’s been a poor season overall for Rangers, with Celtic winning eight-in-row, but there have been some positive signs, especially towards the end of the season. There’ll be another rebuilding job at Ibrox over the summer but also at Celtic as well, where Neil Lennon has still to find out if he’s going to get the job permanently. Saunders is probably right to sit on the fence over the guard of honour issue, but he then blew it for Celtic fans when he said he hoped Rangers would get back on level terms with them next season. That would be good for the neutrals – Celtic fans would be happy to see their dominance continue.