For the third time in 12 SPFL matches Bobby Madden will referee Celtic. On Saturday Ange Postecoglou’s side take on Livingston with the Lanarkshire based official once again in charge. Since the Australian took charge of Celtic he’ll have had the same referee in charge of 25% of Premiership matches.
So far this season the SFA have used 16 referees for Premiership matches, Saturday will be Madden’s seventh Premiership match this season, 43% of them involving Celtic.
The Lanarkshire based official was in charge for Celtic’s first match of the season when they lost 2-1 away to Hearts.
Liel Abada had a perfectly good goal ruled offside by an assistant but the most controversial incident was when Andy Halliday planted his studs into the ankle of Callum McGregor.
It was uncomfortable to watch, painful for McGregor but Madden decided that it wasn’t worth a yellow card. Madden has appeared alongside Halliday on the Open Goal podcast.
Andy Halliday & Bobby Madden #pals pic.twitter.com/CNCQf91wwF
— We Won It First ?? (@liamt67) July 31, 2021
???| We’ve got a belter of a Keeping the Ball on the Ground for you tomorrow…@siferry8 ?@KevinKyle1981 ?
Andy Halliday ?
Bobby Madden ?See you the morra! pic.twitter.com/GZNBYZcsZA
— Open Goal (@opengoalsport) July 6, 2020
When Celtic travelled to Aberdeen at the start of October they won the match 2-1 but some very unusual stats from the match were highlighted on line
The hoops had 61% possession but according to BBC Scotland managed to commit an incredible 27 fouls. Madden refereed the match.
In the following match away to Motherwell the hoops had even greater possession, 73% and committed 12 fouls over 90 minutes.
On Saturday against St Johnstone it was 79% possession and six fouls, last night against Hibs the stats were 59% possession and nine fouls.
In the three matches since Madden last refereed Celtic the hoops have committed 27 fouls- the same number as they committed in that strange 90 minutes at Pittodrie.
Steven McLean will be the fourth official for the match against Livingston.
CLICK HERE for SFA referee appointments.
Hold on to your underwear, Saturday’s going to be horrific.
This is a good example that refereeing appointments are far from random. The selection process needs investigation.
All the Blogs are full of the cheating Scottish Referees why are we not officially complaining about this awful state of affairs to UEFA.
Need our own spineless board to grow a pair….
Aye definitely the Same Club since 2012.That other Clubs Never Ever came out of Liquidation.Was in every paper at the time.140 years of History Gone in 8 minute meeting and Refused a CVS.Sin e that date Nothing’s Changed.Still in Liquidation.You cannot Relegate a Liquidated Club.They started o er from the bottom division.Sevconians Feel Comfortable living in LaLa Land