NafisaThe fallout from Rangers’ crushing 3-1 defeat to Celtic at Parkhead has now exploded into yet another refereeing controversy, with furious supporters accusing Nick Walsh of protecting Celtic during one of the most chaotic moments of the Old Firm clash.
Sunday’s derby was already surrounded by debate after Rangers fans complained heavily about Yang Hyun-jun’s equaliser being allowed to stand despite Benjamin Nygren standing in an offside position directly in front of Jack Butland.
There was also huge anger surrounding Alistair Johnston’s heavy challenge on Mikey Moore earlier in the match, with several pundits and former referees insisting the Celtic defender should have been sent off for serious foul play.
Now a third incident has emerged online, and it has only added more fuel to the growing outrage among the Rangers support.
WATCH footage of Nick Walsh moment sparks fresh fury:
The incident happened shortly after tensions boiled over between both sets of players during the second half.
A heated confrontation broke out following a late challenge, with Rangers players surrounding Celtic stars as tempers completely exploded inside Parkhead.
But supporters quickly noticed something strange moments later when Nick Walsh reached for his yellow card.
Many Rangers fans believed Johnston was about to receive a second booking after already being cautioned earlier in the game. Instead, Walsh booked Kieran Tierney, allowing Johnston to remain on the pitch.
The reaction online was immediate.
Supporters accused the referee of deliberately avoiding a second yellow card for the Canadian full-back at a crucial stage of the contest.
At 2-1 down, Rangers were still pushing for a route back into the game and the prospect of Celtic dropping to ten men could have dramatically shifted momentum during the final stages.
Instead, Johnston stayed on the field and Celtic eventually killed the game through Daizen Maeda’s sensational overhead kick.
Rangers fans erupt over Walsh display:
Social media quickly exploded after footage of the moment began circulating online.
Some supporters described it as “intentional cheating” while others claimed Walsh had “completely lost control” of the fixture.
The frustration only grew because of the wider context surrounding the afternoon.
Rangers had started brightly and took the lead through Mikey Moore before Celtic slowly took control after Yang’s equaliser. But many supporters felt key officiating calls repeatedly went against Danny Rohl’s side once the game swung in Celtic’s favour.
The Johnston challenge on Moore was already a massive talking point.
Former referee Keith Hackett later claimed the tackle should have resulted in a straight red card, while Kris Boyd admitted live on Sky Sports that Rangers were fortunate VAR did not intervene further.
Then came the equaliser controversy involving Nygren.
And now this latest moment involving Walsh’s booking decision has only deepened the anger among the Ibrox support.
Rangers collapse overshadows controversy:
Despite the outrage over officiating, Rangers will also know they collapsed badly after Celtic levelled the match.
Once Arne Engels and Callum McGregor began controlling midfield, the visitors struggled to cope with Celtic’s tempo and movement.
Kieran Tierney constantly pushed Rangers backwards down the flank while Maeda’s relentless running caused chaos inside the final third.
By the final half hour, Rangers looked physically and mentally drained as Celtic completely took over the derby atmosphere.
Still, that has not stopped supporters focusing heavily on the officiating afterwards.
With title hopes now effectively over and pressure increasing around Rohl following another painful defeat, every major decision from Sunday’s match is now being placed under the microscope by furious Rangers fans who believe key moments denied them any realistic route back into the contest.
Nafisa
