Scots ref handed huge Uefa gig just weeks after Rangers ‘ghost goal' drama as he's trusted with Euro grudge match
MAN IN THE MIDDLE Scots ref handed huge Uefa gig just weeks after Rangers 'ghost goal' drama as he's trusted with Euro grudge match
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NICK WALSH will referee tomorrow's European Under-21 Championship semi-final between Germany and France in Slovakia.
The group of Scottish officials at the tournament - which includes Walsh plus Dan McFarlane, Calum Spence and Andrew Dallas - have been praised following their handling of the group games between Portugal and Poland then Spain and Italy.
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Nick Walsh as the man in the middle for Celtic vs Rangers earlier this year
Credit: PA
Walsh was also fourth official for the first match of the competition between Slovakia and Spain.
He will be assisted in the Kosice clash by McFarlane and Spence as his assistant with Dallas acting as the VAR.
Walsh has been at the centre of a number of high-profile refereeing incidents in Scottish football over the past 12 months.
In February of this year he sent off Rangers midfielder Mohamed Diomande for a 'slap' on Dundee United defender Kevin Holt.
Diomande pleaded his innocence at the time and Gers later appealed the decision.
The Ibrox club were successful in their appeal and the red card was rescinded.
Then towards the end of the season, Walsh was slammed for awarding Ross County a controversial penalty in a match against Dundee, which led to a goal that practically relegated St Johnstone.
The whistler's call was labelled a disgrace under the circumstances, with BBC pundit Michael Stewart not holding back in his assessment.
He said: "It's a disgrace, let's not beat about the bush.
"The fact Nick Walsh gives a penalty in the first place is just unforgivable and for VAR not to intervene and overturn this is inexcusable.
And perhaps the most notorious decision was his failure to award Ranger a goal against Hibs - despite most of the stadium at the time and indeed plenty of evidence since to suggest that the ball crossed the line.
Nicolas Raskin thought he'd scored for the Light Blues on the last day of the season but saw his claims denied by Walsh and the team at Easter Road.
An SFA panel later admitted that it SHOULD have stood.
The debacle led to former Gers defender John Brown, who was commentating for the club's official TV channel at the time,calling the decision "corrupt".
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