Retired referee Calum Murray looks back on the Rangers v Celtic game that changed Scottish football

“For a while, that game followed me around,” said Murray. “People would see me and whisper: ‘See him? He was the referee in that Old Firm game’. They are exciting matches. They can be great spectacles for fans. But for referees they are challenging.

“I have to be honest, I really enjoyed them. But the baggage which comes with them can be quite difficult to deal with. You get a lot of support, from the SFA and from your colleagues. But it is something I don’t feel you can ever fully prepare yourself for until you actually go through it.”

Nothing could have readied Murray for that Scottish Cup fifth round replay between Celtic and Rangers at Parkhead or its aftermath. At the end of 90 explosive minutes there had been 34 arrests inside the stadium, 13 yellow cards, three orderings off, several touchline altercations and a tunnel bust-up. Nice day at the office dear?

The fallout was unprecedented; Alex Salmond, the then First Minister, branded the scenes as “shameful” and called a government summit which resulted in a contentious piece of legislation being passed which continues to cause widespread consternation to this day.

“It was a tough game, probably my toughest game in many ways,” said Murray. “There was a really high crime count that night, the highest crime count of any game I was ever involved with.

“There were a number of factors which came into it. Rangers and Celtic had played each other an awful lot that season. Celtic had won their previous encounter fairly comfortably. All the ingredients were there. The characters on the pitch contributed to it as well.

“Occasionally you do get games like that. Two or three will go by which are competitive. Then, all of a sudden, you get a wee spike in one of them and that makes it a particularly difficult game for a referee.”

Murray was physically manhandled by Madjid Bougherra, the Rangers centre half, as he attempted to show him a second yellow card in the final minute and El Hadji Diouf, his temperamental team mate, suffered the same fate after the final whistle for dissent.

“Bougherra subsequently apologised, both publicly in the media and to me personally,” he said. “He said sorry the next time he saw me at a game. It was a case of turn the page and move on. It was a spur of the moment thing, passion.”

The fourth official possibly endured an even more torrid evening than Murray. Iain Brines was required to step in and separate the opposing dugouts as tempers flared following the red carding of Steven Whittaker, the Rangers midfielder, for a second bookable offence in the first half.

Brines was then forced to intervene as Neil Lennon, the Celtic manager, squared up to Ally McCoist, the Rangers assistant, after words were exchanged at the end of the game. “Poor Iain!” said Murray. “Seriously, though, he was a big policeman. He could look after himself.”

As he reminisces about that infamous night, Murray could be forgiven for feeling relieved that he hung up his whistle at the end of last season. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The 48-year-old looks back on his time as a referee with great fondness and admits he misses no longer being actively involved.

The keen amateur footballer from Cramond in Edinburgh developed into - and many knowledgeable figures in our national game would concur - arguably Scotland’s finest referee. He spent 15 years as a Category One official in this country and five years on the FIFA list.

In that latter role he became involved in Champions League and Europa League games as well as European Championship and World Cup qualifiers in a variety of capacities and found himself standing on the same playing surface as superstars like Robert Lewandowski, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“You are so focused that you don’t appreciate the skill of the player,” he said. “You don’t look up until you come off the park at the end of the game. But Ronaldo was the standout for me. He was outstanding. His turn of pace was astonishing. I don’t think I’ve seen such a quick player.”

Murray officiated in no fewer than 24 countries across Europe and graced many of the continent’s most famous arenas. The Ali Sami in Istanbul, where Turkish giants Galatasaray play, was the most memorable.

“That was intimidating,” he said. “But it was a great experience. You definitely benefited from doing those big European games and getting exposed to that type of atmosphere. But fans are fans the world over whether it is in Russia, Sweden or wherever.”

Murray hasn't been lost to Scottish football. Far from it. He remains involved in a number of different capacities. He is now a member of the SFA Referees’ Committee as well as being an observer and a mentor. He is as busy now as he was before. He hopes to use his years of experience and expertise to help his successors develop.

“I received a lot of good advice from household names like George Smith, the ex-World Cup referee, Bob Valentine and Donald McVicar when I was coming through,” he said. “They identified positives as well as picked up on faults.

“One of the best bits of advice I got was: ‘Don’t change your style. Don’t try to be something you’re not’. Every referee has a different approach. Take Howard Webb for example. There is a referee who can impose himself on players because of his height, his build and his presence. Not every referee has got that.

“Willie Young handled players very well. He got them eating out of his hand. He was a very good man manager. In volatile situations as well. I relied on my positioning and on being able to read the game. My strength was probably that I was quite calm.”

Yet, Murray knows only too well that no matter how dedicated and accomplished a referee is he or she will have difficult afternoons and evenings and incur the wrath of supporters, players and managers. It happened when he was given the Scottish Cup final between Celtic and Motherwell in 2011 to oversee.

His decisions enraged both sets of fans. Those cheering on Motherwell felt that Daniel Majstorovic, the Celtic centre half, should have been ordered off for first a foul on their striker John Sutton and then a hand ball. Those backing Celtic were convinced Stephen Craigan, the Motherwell defender, deserved to be red carded for deliberately handling the ball on the edge of his penalty box.

“The first half was probably one of the toughest 45 minutes of football I have ever had,” he remembers. “The conditions were horrendous. The pitch was in great condition, but it had been raining since about five o’clock that morning. The place was treacherous. It was a nightmare.

“I had to make allowances for that. There were a couple of robust challenges which I tried to manage. If you watch it back you might think I was a bit lenient, but, overall, I was quite satisfied. There were maybe one or two incidents I could have handled better.

“I got quite a lot of criticism, but the players were fine with me after the game. I think they realised what had happened. Ultimately, it was quite a good experience, I quite enjoyed it.”

Then same can be said of his refereeing career as a whole. Murray is now, after years of travelling the country at weekends and venturing even further afield during the week, free to spend more time with his wife Lorraine and his children Ross and Leah. But at times still longs to be out on the park.

“I definitely miss it,” said Murray. “Especially at this stage of the season. I was up at a Dunfermline game a couple of weeks ago and the pitch looked fantastic. On a Saturday morning you are desperate to be out there. I miss going into the dressing room, meeting up with the guys, speaking to them, the buzz you used to get.

“Refereeing has been good for me. There were, no question, some hairy moments. There have been some tough encounters. But if you sit back now and look at it you do think: ‘The last 15 years have been incredible’. Sometimes, though, you are grateful to be out of it. Like when you aren’t watching Sportscene through your fingers on a Sunday night!”