Referee Bobby Madden has announced he’s ready to retire from officiating after two decades in the middle of the park.
Madden had been the man in the middle for several high-profile games in including Rangers and Celtic clashes, as well as Scottish Cup and League Cup finals. He took charge of more than 1,000 matches in Scotland in a 20-year stint as a Category One official and was the whistler for Champions League group stage clashes too.
The 44-year-old spent this season in England and sparked controversy during his first game when he flashed two yellow cards at Lee Tomlin for time-wasting in the Yorkshire derby between Bradford City and Doncaster Rovers. After resigning as a referee in Scotland last summer, he said: "I would like to thank the Scottish FA for their support over the years – from my first match as a young referee to various derby matches and international appointments.
“It’s been some journey in that time, from Scottish Cup finals to refereeing and training during a pandemic, but the time is right for me for a number of reasons to relocate and as a result I’m grateful for the opportunity with the FA.”
In a message on his Instagram today, he posted: "Twenty's plenty...it's time to hang up my whistle."
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