From battlefields to ballparks: the evolution of the guard of honour

History · Published 20 October 2026 · Updated 21 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: A guard of honour is a powerful visual of respect, but its roots are far more martial than a simple sporting courtesy. While modern fans see it as a gesture of sportsmanship, the tradition traces back to military protocols, religious rites, and the solemn honoring of the fallen.

Historically, the guard of honour is a ceremonial duty rooted in military and state traditions. In many countries, specific units like the Algerian Republican Guard—a ceremonial corps of 6,000 troops—or the Egyptian Republican Guard—the senior-most unit in the Egyptian Armed Forces—are tasked with guarding heads of state and national institutions. In these contexts, the gesture is about security and the formal recognition of authority, often involving specific uniforms and traditions derived from historical cavalry and infantry units.

The practice transitioned into the civilian and religious spheres to honor service and sacrifice. Uniformed firefighters and law enforcement personnel render military-style salutes for fallen colleagues, while religious bodies like the Anglican Communion and the Methodist movement use 'guarding the line' as a funeral tradition for ordained elders. By arranging guards of honour for departed knights, Catholic chivalric groups like the Order of the Holy Sepulchre transform the concept from national protection into a gesture of collective reverence for the departed.

In the modern sporting world, particularly in the English Premier League, the guard of honour has become a voluntary symbol of sportsmanship. It typically occurs when a team plays after already securing the title, with the starting XI walking between parallel lines of applauding opponents. While it is not a regulatory requirement, it has become a staple of the sport. Notable examples include Manchester United becoming the first Premier League side to receive one in 2003, and Liverpool receiving a record seven guards of honour during the pandemic-hit 2019/20 season. Occasionally, the gesture extends beyond teams to individuals, such as managers like Sir Alex Ferguson and Jurgen Klopp, or players like John Terry and Jamie Vardy, to mark the end of their careers.

The nuance of the sporting gesture lies in its voluntary nature; it is a choice made by clubs to acknowledge a peer's achievement. It can even be used to highlight complex narratives, such as when Arsenal honored Robin van Persie in 2013 despite the lingering tension of his move from the Gunners to their rivals, Manchester United.

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