A potted history of guards of honour in England includes Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard having a dig at Chelsea, and Sir Alex Ferguson bullying his players.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The year<\/strong>: 1955 It was Matt Busby who orchestrated the first known example of a guard of honour in top-flight English football and unwittingly started this curious obsession. Chelsea captain Roy Bentley later recalled that he \u201cmade sure we got the full red-carpet treatment\u201d at Stamford Bridge in the final game of the season, the legendary manager even eulogising the Blues in the matchday programme.<\/p>\n Bentley went on to score in a 2-1 defeat to United, who finished five points behind in fifth. Busby\u2019s side won the title in both the next two seasons, presumably powered by shame.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The year<\/strong>: 1974 Liverpool losing 1-0 at home to Arsenal confirmed that the wonderful Don Revie<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0would have a championship to show for his final season in charge of Leeds, and QPR were happy to pay tribute to one of the most dominant teams of the era.<\/p>\n Allan Clarke capped the club\u2019s stellar campaign with the only goal in west London, before those title medals were consigned to the biggest dustbin the players could find<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The year<\/strong>: 1979 It might be that Liverpool were toasted by the opposition for their exploits in 1973, 1976, 1977 and beyond, but the only official record<\/strong><\/a> is of Leeds upholding tradition and paying their respects to a team that would reign as European champions for only two more weeks in 1979.<\/p>\n Liverpool thanked them by securing a 3-0 win at Elland Road that set two unbroken top-flight records: most points in a top-flight season with two for a win (68); and fewest goals conceded in a 42-game campaign (16).<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The year<\/strong>: 1991 Alex Ferguson had a Cup Winners\u2019 Cup final against Barcelona to prepare for nine days later but was never likely to miss an opportunity to recognise greatness and humble his players.<\/p>\n It is unknown whether he would have been quite so keen had it not been Liverpool who Arsenal won the title at the expense of. But the Reds slipping to defeat earlier in the day against Nottingham Forest meant Manchester United lined up to applaud the champions at Highbury before Alan Smith scored a decisive hat-trick.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The year<\/strong>: 2003 David Moyes getting Everton to give Manchester United a guard of honour at Goodison Park is the least surprising thing to have ever happened.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The year<\/strong>: 2005 \u2018I had no intention of surrendering to Abramovich\u2019s wealth in the months to come,\u2019 wrote Sir Alex Ferguson in his 2013 autobiography of the time he ordered his players to assemble and welcome England\u2019s new champions to Old Trafford. Chelsea returned the favour by coming from behind to win and set a new Premier League points record of 94, which they would extend with a draw at Newcastle \u2013 who also provided a guard of honour \u2013 on the final day.<\/p>\n Phil Neville later recalled that \u201cit was almost like Sir Alex enjoyed it\u201d and \u201cit was almost like a motivation for the season after to make sure that it didn\u2019t happen again\u201d. Chelsea retained the title and poor PNev was sold in between.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The year<\/strong>: 2007 While Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy were in the starting line-up which gave Chelsea a guard of honour two years prior, neither Ferguson nor Jose Mourinho picked full-strength teams when the Blues offered that same courtesy at Stamford Bridge in 2007.<\/p>\n We did at least get the sight of John Terry clapping Kieran Lee, Chris Eagles and Dong Fangzhuo onto the pitch before a 0-0 draw. Yet that somehow isn\u2019t the most embarrassing guard of honour involving Chelsea\u2019s Captain, Leader, Legend<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The year<\/strong>: 2011 A cagey 1-1 draw against Blackburn in the previous game had delivered what remains Manchester United\u2019s penultimate Premier League title. Blackpool needed an unlikely win at Old Trafford to preserve their top-flight status on the final day and even took a brief 2-1 lead through Charlie Adam and Gary Taylor-Fletcher, but eventually lost 4-2 to a team that had dropped two points at home all season.<\/p>\n It was a given that Ian Holloway would get his players to pay tribute before the game.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The year<\/strong>: 2013 One of the most memorable instances of a weirdly popular genre. Absolutely the most awkward and compelling, as Arsenal stood in orderly fashion to welcome England\u2019s new champions to a soundtrack of boos that built to a crescendo as Robin van Persie was the last United player to walk out, later scoring a penalty on his return to north London.<\/p>\n \u201cI want the traditions of English football to be respected,\u201d said Arsene Wenger.\u00a0\u201cThat is what great clubs should do,\u201d said Ferguson. \u201c**** off you ******* ******** ************\u00a0Marouane Chamakh wannabe ******* ********,\u201d said the Arsenal fans.<\/p>\n MORE GUARD OF HONOUR NONSENSE ON F365<\/strong> \u00a0<\/p>\n The year<\/strong>: 2015 Even though Mourinho pointed out that \u201cit\u2019s a bit artificial\u201d if \u201csome of them don\u2019t want to be there and they are just there because somebody tells them to be there\u201d, Brendan Rodgers ensured the manners of his Liverpool players did not slip in 2015.<\/p>\n Steven Gerrard admitted \u201cit wasn\u2019t nice doing it\u201d but did spare a word or nine for the Chelsea fans who had taunted him all game before partaking in a standing ovation upon his 79th-minute substitution: \u201cNice of them to turn up today for once.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The year<\/strong>: 2016
The honoured<\/strong>: Chelsea
The honourers<\/strong>: Manchester United
The reason<\/strong>: Chelsea\u2019s first title win<\/p>\n
The honoured<\/strong>: Leeds
The honourers<\/strong>: QPR
The reason<\/strong>: Leeds\u2019 second First Division title<\/p>\n
The honoured<\/strong>: Liverpool
The honourers<\/strong>: Leeds
The reason<\/strong>: A third Liverpool title in four years<\/p>\n
The honoured<\/strong>: Arsenal
The honourers<\/strong>: Manchester United
The reason<\/strong>: Winning the First Division title (and thus stopping Liverpool)<\/p>\n
The honoured<\/strong>: Manchester United
The honourers<\/strong>: Everton
The reason<\/strong>: Manchester United recapturing the title<\/p>\n
The honoured<\/strong>: Chelsea
The honourers<\/strong>: Manchester United
The reason<\/strong>: Chelsea\u2019s first Premier League title<\/p>\n
The honoured<\/strong>: Manchester United
The honourers<\/strong>: Chelsea
The reason<\/strong>: Manchester United winning their first Premier League title in four years<\/p>\n
The honoured<\/strong>: Manchester United
The honourers<\/strong>: Blackpool
The reason<\/strong>: Manchester United\u2019s title win<\/p>\n
The honoured<\/strong>: Manchester United
The honourers<\/strong>: Arsenal
The reason<\/strong>: The little boy within Robin van Persie<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udc49\u00a0Arsenal WILL give guard of honour as \u2018nothing stopping\u2019 Trent Liverpool return<\/strong><\/a>
\ud83d\udc49\u00a0Arsenal told to avoid Liverpool guard of honour \u2018humiliation\u2019; Maresca reveals verdict on \u2018tradition\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
The honoured<\/strong>: Chelsea
The honourers<\/strong>: Liverpool, West Brom and Chelsea
The reason<\/strong>: Chelsea\u2019s fourth Premier League title<\/p>\n
The honoured<\/strong>: Leicester
The honourers<\/strong>: Everton and Chelsea
The reason<\/strong>: Leicester had won the sodding title<\/p>\n