League Cup Final referee Bobby Madden has revealed that Hugh Dallas was his inspiration to pick up the whistle.
Madden’s progress through the ranks has surprised many football supporters with his judgement badly at fault on a number of occasions.
As recently as last month he failed to spot Lee McCulloch stamping on Dale Carrick of Raith Rovers which resulted in the Sevco skipper getting a retrospective one match ban.
Madden was also involved in the farcical Sevco v Hearts matched that was abandoned after half an hour due to snow despite the pitch being in better condition at the time of the abandonment than at kick-off.
Despite those recent mishaps Madden has been appointed to take charge of the first showpiece game of the season and told his local newspaper, The East Kilbride News, how he got involved in refereeing.
“I only started refereeing because my brother Jamie pointed out an advert in the EK News about a refereeing course that was running,” he recalled.
“It was at the same time as the 2002 World Cup when Hugh Dallas was the fourth official in the final and Jamie pointed out there was this Scottish guy involved and I should give it a go.
“I was thinking I don’t drink and I’m always up early on a Sunday morning, so why not?
“Next thing I know I’m responding to the advert and I completed the course so the EK News is to blame for me taking up refereeing.”
One of Madden’s first brushes with controversy came in February 2013 when he was in charge of a Celtic v Dundee United match.
With Celtic leading 2-1 Adam Matthews executed a perfect tackle on future team-mate Gary Mackay-Steven turning the ball out for a corner.
Without any sort of claim and with a clear view of the incident Madden pointed to the penalty spot- fortunately for everyone Fraser Forster saved Jon Daly’s spot-kick
1 min and 25 seconds in for penalty decision
“I wish Bobby had been refereeing on Tuesday night,” Lennon said in reference to the previous match at home to Juventus. “It was never a penalty. It is a great recovering tackle. I’ve seen it again. I think he (Bobby) said he tugged his shorts or shirt but he didn’t, he recovered brilliantly and won the ball cleanly, there was no contact.
2 min 30 Samaras handball, 3 min 10 Wanyama red card, 4 min 5 Izaguirre penalty
Six weeks later Lennon was less jovial after another catalogue of howlers as Celtic drew 1-1 away to St Mirren.
“That was the most appalling refereeing performance I have seen for a long, long time,” the former Celtic boss said. “I mean, you can’t get so many big decisions so wrong, it is incredible.
“For me St Mirren should have had a penalty, it is a clear handball you don’t get many more as clean-cut as that so we dodged a bullet there.
“Then I see Kayal getting wrestled into the advertising hoardings right in front of the linesman and he doesn’t give a free-kick and two seconds later, I’ve got a man sent-off for nothing and the penalty that St Mirren did get was outside the box and there is no contact.
“So I am delighted that we got a point out of it but there is no doubt that the referee’s decisions ruined what could have been potentially a good game. The sending off was ridiculous and it changed the game.”
Victor Wanyama’s red card was successfully appealed allowing the midfielder to play in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Dundee United.
Last Sunday Craig Thomson sent off Paul Paton and Virgil van Dijk for violent conduct, on Thursday both players successfully appealed that decision allowing them to play in the League Cup Final.