The truth about media referee Steve Conroy and his rapid decline

A decade or so ago Stuart Dougal and Kenny Clarke were the go-to guys for legacy media as they reacted to controversial decisions. Both of them enjoyed third incomes on the after-dinner circuit, recalling wacky tales from their days refereeing O** F*** matches.

Today Steve Conroy and Bobby Madden carry out that function with Conroy especially keen to force his way into the media with his own podcast regularly quoted by newspapers.

Conroy comes with the added bonus of claiming that he is a Celtic supporter, something that he went out of his way to prove as he climbed the refereeing ladder during the naughties.

He was so good at it that he was trusted with the New Year Derby in the 2009/10 season in which Tony Mowbray’s side were the victims of some very hard to explain decisions.

In the first Derby of the season Shaun Maloney and Aiden McGeady were constantly fouled in the penalty box, eventually after the third attack Craig Thomson awarded a penalty. Kyle Lafferty’s neck high attack on Zheng Zhi resulted in a friendly warning not to repeat it.

Getting the Glasgow Derby should have been the launch pad for Conroy’s career, regular top domestic fixtures topped up by lucrative foreign trips where the expenses are exceptionally generous.

I really should take a proper deep dive in to the games between 2008-2011.
A period referred to by some fans as ‘The Honest Mistake Years’.
I’ve already seen plenty McCurry & Dougie McDonald.
Dougal had some crazy ones I looked at not so long ago.
Think 1 was a Dutd final. https://t.co/5QLdeAm8g6

— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) January 9, 2024

Eager to advance his career Celtic fan Steve went too far with Lafferty’s assault on Andy Hinkel and the Marco Fortune disallowed ‘goal’ proving to be just too much for even the SFA to sweep aside. The match finished a diplomatic 1-1 draw.

Two years after refereeing the Glasgow Derby Conroy found himself refereeing Hamilton v Morton, Queen of the South v Dundee and Arbroath v Forfar. After the Berwick v Queens Park match on 17 March Celtic fan Steve quit refereeing, knowing that he had blown it in his first and last Glasgow Derby.

Conroy is a regular guest with Kenny Macintryre and Tom English on BBC Scotland’s Sportsound show.

CLICK HERE for Conroy’s 2011/12 appointments.