GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MAY 10: Referee Nick Walsh (R) shows Rangers' Tuur Rommens (L) a yellow card during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park, on May 10, 2026, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Alan Harvey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Celtic had to overcome Nick Walsh to deliver victory in the Glasgow Derby.
Martin O’Neill’s side just edged possession with 51% of the ball.
In any league across Europe that would produce a similar breakdown in free-kicks.
Not in Scotland, now with Walsh in charge. According to the Bearsden based schoolteacher Celtic were fouled 13 times, Walsh managed to award 24 against Celtic.
Basically Danny Rohl’s side were being awarded twice as many free kicks.
SHAMEFUL STATS OF NICK WALSH
For a side with no style of play set-pieces are essential. Where ever they are awarded a free-kick is an opportunity to throw two giant central defenders into the opposing penalty box.
Celtic did give away some silly free-kicks for shirt pulling but Rohl’s side knew that they almost had free kicks on demand.
Any contact and they could fall to the ground almost assured of a penalty. Similarly Daizen Maeda was getting knocked all over the place without the protection of free kicks.
Incredible stats – Celtic with 51% possession to Rangers 49%, but 24 fouls given against Celtic compared to 13 fouls by Rangers. Every time Rangers player went to ground from slight touch, Nick Walsh blew for foul so Rangers could chip ball into Celtic box to pressure Celtic pic.twitter.com/102sifk8w3
— The Global Tablet of Jurisprudence (@gtj1247) May 10, 2026
Walsh is following a well used template among Scottish referees.
In September Don Robertson produced the most incredible statistics when Celtic drew with Hibs.
Despite having 77% possession Celtic were awarded just one free kick, in the 88th minute.
With 23% possession Hibs were given 17 free kicks.
Fortunately for the SFA no-one at Celtic challenges these sort of statistics. The pattern is well established.
With the free kick count Walsh carried that pattern into bookings. Celtic had six players booked, only two yellow cards were awarded to their visitors.
The worst booking was in the 78th minute when a number of players clashed after Tuur Rommens ran the ball out of play.
Mikey Moore raced in with his arms raised playing the hard man.
The on loan Spurs wonder boy escaped a booking, Walsh opted to show yellows to Tierney and Rommens.
On Wednesday Walsh will referee the Hearts v Falkirk match.
That will be after putting in a shift at Boclair Academy working on the fitness and education of the Murray Park starlets.
Come on Joe, when Celtic lose the ball they have a very bad habit of getting frustrated and giving away stupid free kicks. I was losing the plot at the amount of times they did it today and would think the referee got it spot on
Re: the fouls awarded for / against Celtic anomaly.
It’s a continuing, significant statistical deviation:
a.k.a. cheating and / or incompetence by match officials.
Mibbees over this summer they can get some extra training… ‘cos they won’t be officiating at the WC.
Probably not the worst we could’ve gotten for this match (Walsh)…
Have they found Dickinson’s corpse in The River Cart yet…
He’ll have wanted to fling himself in there today after finishing third !