Bobby Madden explains how Old Firm referee Steven McLean will be feeling after Connor Goldson ‘handball’ penalty claims
BOBBY MADDEN has officiated nine Old Firm games.
And he reckons Steven McLean will be happy with his afternoon work at Ibrox.
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Rangers won the derby game 3-0 which didn’t impact the table but halted Celtic’s unbeaten streak in that game.
That may not have changed, given that Ange Postecoglou’s side already clinched the title last weekend and Rangers secured second place – but try to tell both sides of the Glasgow pair that an Old Firm game doesn’t matter.
There have been more violent encounters, but the clash was not without incident.
And Madden believes the man in the middle had a pretty easy afternoon – even if Celtic called for a penalty just before half-time when Connor Goldson appeared to touch the ball with his hand as it fell into the box.
With away fans banned from the pitch – just like Gers fans at Parkhead last month – it was just the players’ objections that fell on deaf ears, first from McLean and then from VAR official Greg Aitken.
For Goldson it was not the first handball drama in this game this season.
But Madden feels it was the right decision on an overall positive afternoon for officials.
I keep talking BBC sports sound He explained: “From a referee’s point of view, he is [McLean] will be very happy.
“I think everyone predicted this could be played like a friendly and I think when you see there are only nine fouls in the first half of an Old Firm it tells its own story.”
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“There were two big decisions. On the one hand, an offside announcement, which was correctly approved by the assistant in the main stand. Then there was the potential penalty for a handball from Goldson.”
“In that case, people might say the arm is removed from the body. But any supporting arm on the ground or the arm supporting the player on the ground is not considered intentional handball and is therefore not a handball offence.”
“VAR would have checked that and based on that criteria told the referee that it was the right decision.”
An early goal from Todd Cantwell set the tone for Rangers at a packed Ibrox home crowd as they watched in delight as John Souttar headed in a second before the break.
Fashion Sakala rounded Joe Hart to round out the score with the third with 20 minutes to go.
And even the introduction of Kyogo Furuhashi from the bench into Ange Postecoglou’s wildly changing line-up couldn’t turn the tide in the champions’ favour.
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