Bobby Madden has spoken out on his decision to dismiss Alfredo Morelos during March’s Old Firm clash.
The Rangers striker was shown a straight red for elbowing Celtic captain Scott Brown in the face, but Madden has admitted that he did not see the incident at the time.
Speaking to Superscoreboard, he said: “TV footage shows I had absolutely no view of the incident. Alan [assistant referee] was in line with the second last defenders, that’s his responsibility.
“So I am following the ball up the field of play and I hear a roar, so, naturally, you look round and you see a player on the ground.
“Immediately the communication from Alan was ‘red card, red card, red card’ and that’s why it was dealt with quite as quickly.
“I think in that environment and under that pressure for Alan to pick up the incident then communicate that so clearly was a real positive.”
OPINION
This is a fair explanation from Madden, and one that really highlights the importance of a good refereeing team. It’s easy to forget as fans, but referees are only human, and it’s only natural that there are some things that they are bound to miss over the course of a game. Nine times out of 10, these will be innocuous and unworthy of action, but on occasions like this one, it is good to know that his assistants had his back and were able to help out and ensure that the right call was made. Where they were when Ryan Kent punched Scott Brown in the face is another question entirely, but perhaps it best we deal with one contentious decision at a time. Refereeing an Old Firm is a thankless task, and no matter what the result, you are more than likely to end up with half of Glasgow gunning for you. The best way you can avoid that is to be accurate and impartial, and on this occasion, Madden was.