Soccer Football - Scottish Cup Semi Final - Celtic v Rangers - Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - April 17, 2022 Celtic's Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor with referee Bobby Madden REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Bobby Madden’s media makeover took the lad-with-a-whistle to Dublin yesterday to join up with the Tartan Army.
Over the last 18 months the East Kilbride based referee has carefully been working on his image to come over as an ordinary bloke, a football fanatic getting paid for being part of the game that he loves. Others have a different opinion of Madden.
Appearances on Open Goal started the process. Si Ferry was the host but there was a very definite bond with Andy Halliday as they chuckled through past escapades.
Madden took to Instagram to extend his profile, taking him away from the dour faced image of referees typified by Willie Collum, John Beaton and Craig Thomson.
Yesterday, in a clearly well rehearsed stunt, Madden was in Dublin supporting his employers when miraculously one of the Tartan Army produced a red card! Ho, ho, ho, great opportunity for pictures to be shared. Top lad Bobby, he’s just one of the boys after all.
Bobby Madden shown RED CARD by cheeky Scotland fan as ref spotted with Tartan Army in Dublin https://t.co/TEfhkaeuL2
— Scottish Sun Sport (@scotsunsport) June 11, 2022
Bobby Madden dons Scotland jersey ahead of Ireland clash as he’s red carded by cheeky fanhttps://t.co/6B1IySpTnW pic.twitter.com/AVtkvd8xZq
— Football Scotland (@Football_Scot) June 11, 2022
Find someone that looks at you the same way Bobby Madden looks at Andy Halliday. https://t.co/G1H1vfSC5d
— Celtic F1rst (@CelticF1rst) July 31, 2021
So that’s Bobby Madden front left!…..
Who would have thought eh?
Allowed to ref glasgow derbies.
SFA are a joke. pic.twitter.com/4cRMvmlNFO— ?TimTamTom?????? (@oilyheel) April 20, 2022
A red card isn’t normally something that a fan would take to a match. In more than 40 years watching Celtic I can remember a red card protest against Thatcher at the 1988 Scottish Cup Final plus a few in the early nineties in matches against Rangers, those protests were prompted by Not The View.
In 2012 some Rangers fans organised a red card protest against liquidation, it didn’t end well.
After his wacky red card incident Madden went along to the Aviva Stadium, stood to attention for Flower of Scotland then Amhrán na bhFiann before watching the SFA’s football team beaten 3-0. It’s not known whether Madden and his props will be travelling to the match in Armenia on Tuesday.
Bobby grew up idolised in Alistair who lived on the grounds of
Tip. (They butchered animals)
St Leonards
Even that fergul in the photo got whipped at a chippy.
Ask oor shug?
WTF?
Who gives a flyin f**k were he goes. HH
He is a PONCE of the highest quality.