SUPERCOMPUTER DROPS ITS SHOCKING 2026/27 SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP PREDICTION FROM RANGERS TO ABERDEEN AFTER DERBY CLASH

Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez should’ve been sent off against Celtic, according to former referees Bobby Madden and Mark Clattenburg.

The Nigerian fouled Hoops striker Camilo Duran to prevent a promising attack to receive his first yellow card of the game from referee John Beaton after just four minutes. Less than 15 minutes later, the defender looked to have committed a similar attack-preventing foul on Celtic midfielder Benjamin Nygren, however this time Beaton waved play on.

Replays showed that Fernandez caught the Swede without touching the ball, meaning if Beaton had saw it as a foul in real time, there’s a strong chance he’d have been given his marching orders. Some have claimed that because it was so early in the game perhaps this worked in the centre back’s favour, but former SPFL referee Madden believes that would have no bearing. Rangers eventually won the match 1-0 to mark three defeats in a row for the Hoops.

Incident involved Celtic’s Benjamin Nygren.placeholder image

Incident involved Celtic’s Benjamin Nygren. | Getty Images

Speaking on the So Near, Yet So VAR podcast, former English Premier League referee explained why he thought Beaton got it wrong. He said: “He (Fernandez) stops a promising attack because when you stop at the moment the contact’s made, the hold, there’s two-on-two going inside the penalty area.

“That’s what referees call a promising attack. That’s what the football game expects as a promising attack. Therefore a yellow card should have been issued, and a red card. Unfortunately, because the referee doesn’t give a free-kick and VAR cannot issue a second yellow card, the VAR cannot intervene.

“It was John Beaton’s decision. He hasn’t given a free-kick, which I was shocked at, but also by not giving the free-kick, he’s probably got himself out of having to issue the second yellow. Maybe he’s clever by not giving the free-kick – but a free-kick should have been awarded.”

Madden believes Rangers man should’ve saw red.placeholder image

Last weekend, despite their 3-0 win it was Rangers fans who felt aggrieved at refereeing decisions as Celtic defender Colby Donovan made multiple fouls despite receiving an early booking. Despite this, Madden believes generally that the time of a penalised incident should have any bearing on the colour of card. He added: “It doesn’t matter the player, it doesn’t matter the time.

“If you look at the previous week’s Old Firm game, Colby Donovan was cautioned and then committed four, five, six fouls. So the Rangers fans are up in arms – how is he not sent off? “If you look at each of those challenges, none of them in isolation were yellow card offences, so at the end, you can argue about totting up offences, how many? But this week, I think it was maybe just a second foul but if you take the freeze frame, you see there’s a promising attack and it should be a yellow card.”