Former referee Bobby Madden gives verdict on key Celtic vs Rangers decisions
Ex-FIFA referee Bobby Madden has shared his assessment of the three major refereeing decisions from the Premier Sports Cup semi-final between Celtic and Rangers.
The first flashpoint came in the opening half when Thelo Aasgaard was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Anthony Ralston. Aasgaard was attempting to control the ball but caught Ralston with a high boot. Madden agreed with referee Nick Walsh’s decision, describing it as a “correct red card.”
“No intent, but the actions endangered the safety of the opponent. Serious foul play,” Madden explained.
The second controversial moment involved Auston Trusty, who received only a yellow card after catching Jack Butlandin the head as the goalkeeper collected the ball. Madden felt that call was wrong, insisting that Trusty should have been dismissed for violent conduct.
“Missed red card,” he wrote on Instagram. “No opportunity to play the ball. Deliberate act and makes contact with the face — violent conduct.”
Finally, Madden backed the referee’s decision to award Rangers a penalty for handball against Ralston, which James Tavernier converted in the second half. He also supported the choice not to book Ralston for the offence, which would have led to a sending-off.
“The referee does well to spot this. If you throw yourself at the ball and it strikes your arm outside the body, it must be a penalty. It stopped being a mandatory yellow card offence two seasons ago, so no caution is correct,” Madden explained.
Madden ultimately concluded that Nick Walsh got two out of the three big decisions right, with only Trusty’s challenge on Butland deserving a different outcome.
Leave a Reply