Why are Rangers NOT doing a guard of honour for Scottish Premiership champions Celtic?
Steven Gerrard's men will not applaud the Bhoys onto the Ibrox pitch in this Old Firm Derby, despite Neil Lennon's side claiming their 50th league title last weekend
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CELTIC arrive for the Old Firm Derby with the Scottish Premiership title already in the bag.
Their victory over Aberdeen last weekend was enough to secure their 50th league trophy - eighth in a row.
Why are Rangers NOT giving Celtic a guard of honour?
It is customary for the newly crowned champions of a league to receive a guard of honour in their next match.
Celtic's win over Aberdeen was enough to secure the title - but they will not be getting applauded onto the field.
That is because of the fierce rivalry shared by the two clubs - known as the Old Firm Derby.
Gers' manager Steven Gerrard said ahead of the match: "The club have made a decision on that and decided there won't be a guard of honour, so my thoughts are irrelevant."
But Celtic boss Neil Lennon hit back, saying: "It's a break from tradition.
"I think we would have done it if the shoe had been on the other foot. But it's not a major issue for me.
"It would have been a touch of class if they did it. I'm disappointed they are not. Celtic would have done it."
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What is the Old Firm Derby?
The name Old Firm is the collective name used when discussing both Celtic and Rangers.
One explanation for the term could be commentators referring to their first clash, after the Scottish Football League was established in 1890 as a meeting of "two old, firm friends."
The rivalry was mainly on the pitch at first, and when Celtic were formed in 1888, they invited local team Rangers to play the first game at Parkhead.
The opening of a shipyard in Govan by the Belfast shipbuilders Harland & Wolff in 1912, is seen as the catalyst for politics to come into play in Glasgow.
Then followed general alignment of mainly Scottish Catholic support for Celtic and the Protestant community in the country following Rangers.