As clear a caution as you’ll ever see- Two former SFA referees take Madden to task over Lundstram immunity

Des Roache and Steve Conroy both agree that John Lundstram committed four yellow card offences during Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final. 

The Englishman escaped any punishment from Bobby Madden before being substituted in extra-time with his side being able to complete the match with all 11 players. 

Despite failing to properly deal with four bookable offences Madden is still a top referee according to the podcasting duo. 

Roache suggested that when he reviewed the match Madden will have realised that action should have been taken against Lundstram, all that we’ve heard from the East Kilbride based referee since Sunday has been self congratulations through Instagram posts. 

Conroy, who refereed one Glasgow Derby in season 2009/10 goes into detail about the tactics that a referee will deploy for a particular fixture. The same Laws of the Game apply to every match, a booking offence in a match between Annan Athletic and Cowdenbeath gets the same punishment as in a Scottish Cup Semi-Final.  

Des Roache:

I think that he was playing poker- going for a Five Card Tricks. How he avoided, not just, how he avoided being ordered off, staying on the pitch for as long as he did beggars belief. I’m sure on reflection when Bobby watched the match he would have seen that himself. 

Now you take the very first instance, I understand Bobby trying to get a feel for the game, getting the game going, getting an acceptable limit of what he is going to put up with. That is maybe pushing it too far, if there is a foul in the first minute and there is a foul in the 89th minute there should be the same reprisals that come from it. 

The incident of Joe Hart releasing the ball- that is as clear a caution as you are ever, ever going to see. There is no question, no debate. 

From then to go on, only a short matter of minutes later for his challenge on Hatate, which occurred just inside the centre circle, again, a blatant yellow card. And for another one to come, I don’t know, we’ve just said that it’s not been Bobby’s best day. 

In my opinion, John Lundstram, Rangers shouldn’t have had the option to bring him off as a substitute. John Lundstram should have been ordered off the field of play. 

Steve Conroy: 

We’ve discussed before, he’ll have set out his tactics before it, part of the tactics, often in a Celtic-Rangers game, especially a cup semi-final you’ll maybe let things go more than you would normally.

I agree with Des, a foul is a foul but sometimes you have to set the bar a wee bit higher in a Celtic-Rangers game but not so high that you are missing four, five. As clear a caution as you’ll ever see- Two former SFA referees take Madden to task over Lundstram immunity

And for him to escape another potential three your tactics come to an end at some point and you have to start dealing with it. 

The podcast went on to highlight how Madden stopped Celtic to get treatment to Joe Aribo then soon after refused to stop play when Josip Juranovic.

After that they discuss the 117th minute free kick to Celtic then Madden quickly reversed.