Apparently, Mr Bobby Madden doesn’t like the prospect of “…increased scrutiny….” of match officials.
I know that because he said it this week.
You can listen to the non-interview here.
The softball questions from Ms Conroy amounted to a zero scrutiny zone for the Grade One referee.
Mr Madden stated that he stays away from social media, but that he is aware of the coverage in the SMSM.
Well, in that case, his observation about “scrutiny” is as lame as the questions put to him in this cosy chat.
Mr Madden stated that he did not think it would be a good idea for match officials to declare their club allegiance because this would “give increased scrutiny”.
So, he clearly isn’t a fan of scrutiny and funnily enough, neither is the SMSM!
For the avoidance of doubt, the role of the Fourth Estate IS to scrutinise and to hold power to account.
If you listen to the studio chat after his interview then you will not detect any scrutiny.
Quite the opposite in fact.
Mr Madden said that he was the fourth official at John Beaton’s finest hour at Ibrox on the 29th December 2018.
Moreover, in his opinion, Mr Beaton had a good game.
That day Sevco triumphed over Celtic with agricultural tactics.
Alfredo Morelos was showed a degree of leniency during the match that had an England based scout I later spoke to shaking his head in disbelief.
He was also doing a double take on the coverage of the game in the Scottish media.
Quite simply he told me it couldn’t happen in England.
Firstly, it would be a matter of public record what club the referee supported.
Secondly, there are genuine sports journalists in London who would go for any match official who performed as Beaton did at Ibrox last December.
Therefore, I don’t think that Mr Madden and his colleagues have much to worry about apropos scrutiny in Fair Caledonia.
I really don’t…
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I trust Celtic will tell those morons at the SFA where to stick their £7500 fine for their part in the post match scuffling at Celtic Park.
There was only one team who lost control and their discipline and the red and yellow cards confirm that.
If the ref had done his job right then the blue card count would have been even higher.
Typical SFA fudge. Perhaps they are wary of a SPAD protest in the Hampden car park!
After what went on that day how is it possible for the Hampden clowns to apportion blame equally between the clubs?
Suspicious me just sees this as getting the excuses for honest mistakes in ‘in advance’.
The title isn’t ours yet…
I know we only need a point… but with Mr Beaton ( and his referee’s cook book ) in charge on Saturday a defeat whether deserved or not isn’t out of the question.
Going to the Govan Bigotdome the week after with the title still ‘open’ will see it go to the final match. There is no way the Sevco thugs and referee for the day will allow Celtic to take a point.
The thought gives me the shivers..,, but we all know what can happen when the title goes to the final day of the season.
Goal difference and honest mistakes has been the difference before.
Please not again !
English refs DO NOT need to declare which team they support. I’ve met a few of them through work, mostly lower league but one regularly refs at Championship level and has officiated an FA Cup Final at Wembley and neither he nor any of the others I’ve asked have ever been so much as asked which team they follow.
Wot we need is a Mike Ashley in court no holding Ashley back asking the question to the judge are you in the Masonic party , he knows there and then there’s no pals act he didn’t ask if the judges families have eney connection with the Masonic family
He and the smsm aren’t fans of scrutiny because they’re sevco fans
I would have asked Madden if he’d seen ‘Anyone but Celtic’ yet. HH
Madden was scrutinized a couple of years ago after a Celtic / Sevco game and banished to the lower divisions for several weeks after it. Beaton’s in charge at Pittodrie this weekend.
I really think we need to seal it this weekend or the pressure will be immense going to the crumbledome. I don’t care how scrappy the game is just get the required point. We can then go into the last two games completely relaxed. Put the Orcs back in their box next weekend and lay down a marker for the final the following one. Complete the triple treble, an achievement that will NEVER be equalled, anywhere, anytime, and concentrate over the next two seasons on the title and NOTHING ELSE. By the time 10 in a row is complete, Sevco, if they still exist, will be so broken they will NEVER be a problem again. Then we can go for the world record of league titles.
SIMPLES!!!
Time for the Celtic board to step up, grow a pair and challenge these idiots. It’s nearly the third decade of the 21st century FFS!
I have been going to Celtic Park for 60 years….and as far as Referees and the SFA are concerned…I’ve seen it all.
Occasionally the Club has stood up to “Officialdom” (Tri-colour and Farry) but in the main we have rolled over and kept quiet.
So when I read about the Maddens and Beatons of this world ….I have to say that basically I don’t give a toss…and I find that this seems to fit in nicely with Club policy.
If, as a Club, we are prepared to accept the crap that comes our way….then as a supporter …I refuse to get too bothered about it.
And before anyone tries to tell me that I should be bothered…. I’ll ask why ?
We’ve been politely asking why for a long time…and nothing changes.
Over to you Celtic FC.
I see I have voted for myself….doh…!!
Didn’t mean to…not my style.
Sorry about that…:0)
Can you ” un-vote ” yourself…?
Don’t concern yourself with the vote, the focus should be on the last line of your initial post, about time that Celtic took the authorities to task over their deceit, corruption, ineptitude and general inability to govern the game.
Wow, amazing that the SFA, SRA and most of the individual referees are all against any kind of scrutiny of the current set-up. Wonder why that could be?
By the way, maybe off-topic, but I have been reading up on Freemasons lately and was surprised to learn that they like to be secretive and try to avoid having any scrutiny of what they are about or do.
I’m a top Official at the SFA…what do you need to know…?
I remain in the dark about what attributes you require to climb the greasy pole to Grade 1 ref status.
What I do know is that being a member of a secret society does no harm to your chances, in fact it appears to enhance them.
Of course you can’t walk down a corridor in Hampden without bumping into a fellow brother.
Thankfully I understand that there is a diversity officer on the premises so we can be assured that irrespective of sex, colour and creed the SFA and SPFL employee roster reflects the diversification of Bonnie Scotland’s population.
…and that statistical anomaly of 4 penalties being awarded to the same team in one game is simply lost in ALL the noise about how awful ‘top referees’ are in Scotland.
There’s been so much this season alone, I think we are in danger of becoming – or being – desensitised.
Only really, really bad refereeing gets noticed, as the ‘acceptable refereeing standards’ have fallen so low in Scotland.
Good point Bob, when you are limited to the choice of the best of a bad lot then you know you are in trouble.
Despite years of failure to produce one, just one, half decent official, Fleming remains in situ, untouchable.
What targets and performance indicators have the SFA tasked him with, if any?
Lawwell has to say enough’s enough.
Despite the flood of penalties awarded to the blue side this season, that’s not been enough to halt Celtic’s march to 8 IAR, despite some poor performances from the Champions.
The number of sending offs rescinded on appeal should have Fleming hanging his head in shame for his officials mistakes, but apart from being stood down for the odd game nothing changes and we move on.
No one would blink an eye if the official with the most rescinded cards is rewarded with the Scottish Cup Final.
Maxwell is doing a splendid impersonation of the invisible man, perhaps that was a prerequisite for the job.
McLeish has gone and there is no guarantee that the SFA will get his replacement right.
The purchase of Hampden from Queens seems to have slipped off the menu.
The CEO appears to be taking a wide berth on the ability, or otherwise, of Fleming’s fast trackers as if it’s a no go area for him.
Trying to get anyone at the SFA to supply information on the number of drug tests carried out in the SPFL over the last few years is like drawing teeth.
Why this information is not free to view on the SFA website is strange to say the least.
I’m coming round to the conclusion that no drug tests are being carried out, making Scottish football the only sport in the world without a drug problem!
Would love to hear from anyone who is better informed on this subject, how about you Mr Maxwell?
I know for a fact that their are still some drug tests taking place, although I wouldn’t be surprised if it was reduced. It’s definitely not zero though.
Thanks Sid, my point was why is this information a state secret?