The Celtic Star
·29 aprile 2025
Walsh and Dallas to handle ‘Summer Bragging Rights’ Sunday showdown

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·29 aprile 2025
Celtic Champions 2025. Dundee United v Celtic, 26 April 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
It’s a dead rubber at Ibrox on Sunday this time as newly confirmed Scottish Champions Celtic head across the city to face the team that they defeated in the Premier Sports League Cup Final back in December 2024.
That plus the recent confirmation that Celtic are the Scottish Champions for season 2024/25 sets up Brendan Rodgers and his squad for a chance to secure a world record ninth treble on 24 May in the Scottish Cup Final against Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen side.
Alloa Athletic line up as a guard of honour to welcome the Scottish Championship Champions, theRangers onto the pitch before the match between theRangers and Alloa Athletic at Ibrox Stadium April 23, 2016. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)
Celtic won’t be given the courtesy of a Guard of Honour but as the team’s emerge from the tunnel ‘Simply the Best’ will usually be the song of choice as the 50,000 crowd applaud. Such a sporting opponent, is theRangers.
Referee Nick Walsh Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Gas Scottish Cup, Quarter Final, Celtic Park, – 09 March 2025 : Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock
Holding the match ball will be referee Nick Walsh who has been confirmed as the referee for theRangers versus Celtic match this Sunday. With the summer bragging rights at stake, it’s a decider too in the head-to-head battle with the two teams tied on two wins each. But the big prize has already been won as Celtic look to increase their lead over theRangers to twenty points.
Assisting Nick Walsh will be Frank Connor and Dougie Potter with these two experienced campaigners running the lines.
Andrew Dallas will be on VAR duty on what is hopefully another Beautiful Sunday and he will be assisted by Andrew McWilliam. While we all like to moan about VAR on a fairly regular basis the one real benefit has been to eliminate the ‘honest mistake’ and gifted penalties to theRangers. They’ve only had one penalty this season yet in the ‘Penalty to Rangers‘ era in the few years ahead of VAR coming into the game they were practically getting one every week.
The Pope’s XI flag. Celtic Champions 2025. Dundee United v Celtic, 26 April 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
Around 2000 Celtic supporters will be there on Sunday and will make theRangers supporters well aware that they are watching the Champions play.
Brendan Rodgers certainly wants to win this Glasgow Derby. Talking about going to Ibrox this weekend the Celtic manager said: “It’s so important. (the)Rangers were very good in the first half when we played them at Celtic Park.
Brendan Rodgers at the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Semi Final match between St Johnstone and Celtic at Hampden Park on April 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
“We were too slow. The comfort in the game was not good. In the second half, we were much better. Celtic vs (the)Rangers, no matter what it is, (the)Rangers Celtic, it means everything. So we need to go and perform next week again. But we can get those messages through during the week.”
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