Former top referee claims ‘Rangers were sent down the leagues’

Craig Thomson has told The Sun about his Glasgow Derby regrets when ‘Rangers were sent down the leagues’. 

The former SFA referee spent a decade taking charge of high profile matches including one notorious match at Ibrox during Tony Mowbray’s time in charge where he refused Celtic two very clear penalties before deciding to award one once the home side had gone two goals in front. 

Thomson seemed to want to manage the game rather than apply the Laws to ensure that he wasn’t involved in a runaway victory. 

As everyone in football knows Rangers ceased trading in the summer of 2012 after Her Majesty turned down the offer of a CVA to cover over £20m of unpaid Income Tax and National Insurance. 

Charles Green formed a Tribute Act, the SFA, SPL and SFL signed up to a shameful Five Way Agreement as they set off on the continuity lie. 

The new club didn’t play in any UEFA competition in 2012, were knocked out of the Challenge Cup by Queen of the South and made little progress in the League Cup or Scottish Cup, starting both competitions at the first round. 

Fuelling the lies ahead of tomorrow’s derby match, Thomson told The Sun: 

I handled one in May 2009, then the first game between the clubs the following season. I was supposed to do the next league game too and I spoke to Hugh Dallas about it. 

I just felt three in a row was too many, that you were always likely to be remembered for something in one of them. But there was a feeling in the SFA that there just wasn’t referees experienced enough to handle the game. 

I was eventually taken off the game and soon regretted it because Rangers were sent down the leagues and the game wasn’t on the league calendar for four seasons. 

The SFA style tends to be to blood Old Firm referees in the game at the start of the season or in the last one if nothing is going to be decided in it. 

The significance of the games restricts who gets to referee them. It didn’t surprise me Bobby was appointed to the Scottish Cup semi-final this weekend. 

Willie Collum came through the league game earlier this month with no issues and it wouldn’t surprise me if he got the game on May 1, especially if it could decide the title but if the title isn’t going to be decided that day, the SFA might give it to someone else. 

When Sevco reached the League Cup semi-final in 2014/15 Thomson was put in charge of the game with the Ibrox club in chaos under caretaker boss Kenny McDowall, Ally McCoist walked away soon after the semi-final draw was made. 

With Leigh Griffiths and Kris Commons giving Celtic a 2-0 lead after half an hour Thomson stepped in to limit future scoring opportunities. 

The Disadvantage Rule seemed to be his favourite, blowing for an insignificant free kick when Celtic were in promising positions. 

Madden refereed six of Celtic’s first 24 SPFL matches but hasn’t been in charge of any of the last nine Premiership games. His last Celtic match was the February Derby won 3-0 by Ange Postecoglou’s side.