Bobby Madden has been living the dream with Ally McCoist at the European Championships in Germany.
The former referee has been undergoing a media makeover to become a C-list celebrity boosted by regular appearances with Kenny Macintyre on BBC Scotland’s Sportsound show.
With an Instagram profile Madden is trying to create a laddish image with some comments sympathetic to Celtic as he prepares for a move into the SFA where there is a vacancy under Willie Collum for a VAR Manager.
At school in East Kilbride through the eighties McCoist was Madden’s local hero, waiting for autographs outside of Ibrox and dreaming of following in the footsteps of the chubby chappy.
With no prospect of becoming a footballer Madden turned to refereeing where membership of the Lanarkshire Refereeing and a friendship with Andrew Dallas allowed him to be fast tracked through the ranks.
Unfortunately his arrival at the top tier coincided with Celtic’s domination of the game but his first Glasgow Derby, in February 2017 set the tone when Kenny Miller and Jason Holt got off unpunished from attempts at career ending injuries on Stuart Armstrong and Patrick Roberts.
With the match tied at 1-1 in the closing minutes Clint Hill chopped Leigh Griffiths down 15 yards from goal but Madden decided to take no action before smiling at the post match partying of 7,000 away fans, many of whom he knew personally.
That pattern continued before his final Glasgow Derby appointment in the semi-final of the 2022 Scottish Cup Final where John Lundstram and Fashion Sakala were given free passes to do as they please which combined with some ‘bizarre’ decisions that defied explanation as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side got through to the final with a 2-1 extra-time win.
At the Celtic AGM in November 2021 Ian Bankier claimed that the club had deep concerns when he was questioned about Madden and Nick Walsh, since then the standards of refereeing in Celtic matches has continued to deteriorate led by John Beaton, Don Robertson, Walsh, Steven McLean and Alan Muir.
Soon afterwards Madden decided to move to English football, with no special treatment he lasted one season in League One and League Two, far from the spotlight that he craved.
Forty years down the line the former referee is still hanging onto McCoist for some reflected glory, in February 2021 the SFA had to remove Madden from a Ross County v Celtic match after he had refused to isolate after a midweek jolly to Greece resulted in his close friend David Roome testing positive.
Bobby Madden and Kris Boyd taking the piss. @videocelts pic.twitter.com/DuDxenNZjX
— Celtic SC ©®™ (@Celtic67Fins72) April 19, 2022
According tae the Huns in the GREATEST EVER clip shown on YouTube outside the Bristol Bar he’s a Tim lol! I’m sure Gollum will find him a job awarding TavPens wance the new Season starts assuming of crse Gimp dizny buy him fur 50 Mullyin WHAHAHAHAHA!!
You forgot to mention his membership of an Organisation who are out walking today…Polluting the air and fecking up ordinary folk trying to go about their business.
Apparently they Knuckodragged their way doon Bath St earlier cause the Head Fat Bastard wae the ‘Biggest’ Drum sade they always went that route! Ad a drove right thru the Hun Bastards!!
You failed to acknowledge Douglas Ross in your list of reprehensible cnuts, Joe. But then again, so did voters in his constituency!
Aye…they gave him a RED CARD.
Whoah! Bobby’s as tight as a glove with his pally, Ally!