Why referee Bobby Madden is quitting Scottish football now

Category One referee Bobby Madden has announced his resignation from the Scottish Football Association and will be relocating to England for professional reasons.

Referee Bobby Madden is relocating to England.

After almost two decades as a match official in Scotland, he will continue officiating under the auspices of the FA, working in League One and League Two.

Madden became a FIFA referee in 2010 and has overseen Scottish Cup and League Cup finals in a career which has seen him appointed to more than 1,000 matches in Scotland.

"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," Madden said in a statement released via the SFA.

"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."

The SFA thanked Madden for his "commitment to refereeing and passion to drive recruitment".