Stopping Celtic is everything, it’s in our DNA- Barry Ferguson’s distressed Hampden rallying call

Barry Ferguson has delivered a near hysterical rallying call to Micky Beale’s players ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden.

Bluntly it isn’t about winning the trophy it is about stopping Celtic. According to Ferguson that factor is in the DNA of the club.

Local rivalry is a strong and healthy feature at almost every football club but there is a line- such as when stopping ‘The Other Mob’ overwhelms your own desire for success. That is unhealthy and likely to backfire.

Earlier this season Ferguson reassured Daily Record readers that his old team-mate Giovanni van Bronckhorst had Ange Postecoglou sussed. The following day Celtic won the Derby clash 4-0, the Dutchman never managed in another Derby with Beale now carrying the hopes and fears of Ferguson.

Going through his pre-match thought process for the Ibrox players Ferguson tells Daily Record readers:

If they don’t understand what this game means then, to put it very simply, they don’t deserve to wear the jersey. This is not a ‘must win’ match. It’s a case of ‘don’t even think about NOT winning it’. There will be no excuses and no room for hard luck stories afterwards.

Get it won and make sure that trophy stays in the cabinet on June 3 because that’s the very least that Rangers demand of you. Anything less will be unforgivable as far as the fans are concerned. If you can’t accept that, or if you think it’s a bit harsh, then you honestly have no idea what playing for this club is all about. Stopping Celtic is everything. It’s the reason you pull on the shirt. Is that embarrassing? No. It’s just the way of life in this part of the world. It’s in our DNA.

Ferguson has been out of management for more than a year since mutually consenting from Alloa a month after a Scottish Cup tie against Celtic.