Bobby Madden left Scottish soccer as a result of he felt he'd hit a glass ceiling - with Willie Collum 's lack of progress on the worldwide scene proving to be the ultimate straw. That is in keeping with former high flight ref Charlie Richmond, who instructed Soccer Scotland of Madden's reasoning for leaving the Scottish sport behind.
Madden was one of many SFA's most distinguished whistlers and was an everyday choose for the highest video games within the nation earlier than he left to hitch the English FA in the summertime. Madden took cost of a variety of pressure-cooker Rangers vs Celtic clashes, in addition to being picked by UEFA to to run the rule over varied Europa League, Champions League and worldwide video games through the years.
He and Collum had been the 2 massive names in Scottish refereeing however Madden watched on as his colleague, seen as the principle man throughout the SFA, was ignored for the Euros and missed out on the knockout levels of the Champions League. In keeping with Richmond, Madden felt one thing needed to change - and shifting to the English sport would give him the possibility to progress.
He stated: “I managed to talk to Bobby at an evening out a few months in the past. I may sense that one thing wasn’t proper as a result of he wasn’t going to the UEFA referee course. He instructed me that he had nowhere to go within the Scottish system. It’s as a result of Willie Collum is the principle referee however he’s not progressing.
“You had been at all times instructed while you joined the FIFA referee listing that if you happen to weren’t progressing for a few seasons then you definately’d be moved to the facet and different individuals can be afforded extra alternatives. Willie hasn’t been chosen for the Euros, he’s not been chosen for the World Cup and he’s not been chosen for the Champions League latter levels as a result of we don’t use VAR.
“As an elite referee, these are the development factors and he’s not shifting up. However he’s holding that place and Bobby can’t transfer into it. I feel that he can have sounded out a number of individuals earlier than making the choice to go to England.
"There could possibly be a possibility for him to maneuver up, identical to the Australian referee. The great factor for Bobby is that he’s VAR certified via UEFA. He may have stayed in Scotland and coated the Previous Agency video games, Scottish Cup and League Cup finals however how is he in the end progressing?”
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