/Celtic v Rangers referee confirmed as Bobby Madden

Celtic v Rangers referee confirmed as Bobby Madden

Bobby Madden has been given the whistler’s job in Sunday’s crunch derby clash between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park.

The man in black will be assisted by David McGeachie and Alan Mulvanny with Kevin Clancy taking up fourth official duties.

Madden is sure to have his hands full, with the top of the table game proving crucial for both teams.

If Celtic win, they go 13 points clear at the top and will almost surely be uncatchable, while if Rangers pull off their second win in a row against their rivals, the points gap narrows to only seven and gives them a much-needed lifeline.



Rangers won the last meeting 1-0

Madden has previous experience in the powderkeg fixture, but this will be the first one this season that he has taken charge of.

He ran the rule over two last year, with Celtic’s 4-0 win over Rangers in the Scottish Cup semi final last April being the most recent.

 

More controversially, he drew criticism from both sets of fans two seasons ago in the one game, after denying Leigh Griffiths a late penalty after he was brought down by Clint Hill and for not sending off Scott Brown for a meaty challenge on Jason Holt.

With only eight games remaining of the 2018/19 season, Sunday’s game could not be more important and Bobby Madden will have a tough job on his hands from start to finish.

You can follow Football Scotland here on Twitter and join the conversation on our Facebook page here. We also publish a nightly newsletter at around 5pm every week day, rounding up the latest stories and more. To sign up go here.

Read More

Scottish Premiership news