Retro: Referee John Rowbotham’s last game in charge

The Lang Toun referee, taking charge of his last match before retirement, put in a 10 out of 10 performance at the match between Celtic and Dundee United, admitting afterwards to “wrapping myself in cotton wool all week to make sure I was OK” beforehand.

Rowbotham called every major decision right including the penalty kick he awarded the Hoops five minutes before the end of the match. The Glasgow side won the match 1-0.

It was a fitting end to an 18-year career of highs and lows as a top Scottish referee.

“It was everything I hoped it would be and some,” revealed the then 49-year-old after the match.

“It went very well for me and it was a proud moment collecting my medal at the end of the game.

“I’d done it as a fourth official but to go up as the cup final referee was really special.

“I was just glad that I got the major decisions right and didn’t let myself down.”

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One of Rowbotham’s big decisions was to award Celtic the late penalty kick, which television replays proved to be correct.

Chris Sutton missed it but had it gone in the whistler said after he was prepared to make a controversial decision.

“I would have disallowed it if he had scored,” he said. “He slipped as he was taking it and touched it twice.”

It may have been Rowbotham’s last game before retirement, but he admitted that the thought hardly crossed his mind during the 90 minutes “I was just too caught up in the occasion to think about that,” he said.

“In the tunnel beforehand it was more a sense of anticipation and adrenalin.

“Even when I blew the final whistle it didn’t sink in. It was Willie Young’s last game as well so once we got back to the dressing room it was just a case of who is opening the champagne first?

“I’ve learned that you have to take the knocks with the good times as a referee so I was glad to have retired on such a high.”

Rowbotham’s career took him from running the line in front of 200 fans at East Stirling on his refereeing debut in 1992 to refereeing at the 80,000 capacity San Siro Stadium in Milan as one of the most respected, and instantly recognisable, referees in Europe.

“I think it’s the head!” he said, “people seem to have an easier time remembering the big baldy guy.

“You just have to look at Pierluigi Collina to see the profile he now has. ‘

“I’ve noticed that quite a few referees these days are follicly challenged but I think they are all just deciding to shave it off!”

As well as numerous Champions League matches, Rowbotham also took charge of four World Cup qualifiers, including a powder keg fixture between Cyprus and Bulgaria.

“I was told it was a Rangers versus Celtic type fixture.” he recalled. “The crowd was very hostile

“It was quite an experience.”

Following his retirement a retiral dinner was held in his honour at Pettycur Bay and since then he has gone on to become a popular figure on the after dinner speaking circuit, as well as a regular in the stand at Stark’s Park following his beloved Raith Rovers.

He is also a regular at the Raith Rovers Hall of Fame, where he regularly reignites his friendly rivalry with former Dunfermline boss, Provost of Fife Jim Leishman.

Fittingly his final league match before the Cup Final was in his home town as Rovers lost 1-0 to Airdrie United – to a dubiously awarded penalty!