Bobby Madden has admitted he supported Rangers as a youngster after the final whistle blew on his refereeing career this week.
But the 44-year-old, who took charge of eight Old Firm debires between the Light Blues and their great rivals Celtic, rejected suggestions he was ever a season ticket holder at Ibrox, insisting he wound up supporting St Mirren with his brother and was more focused on running endeavours before he got into refereeing.
The East Kilbride whistler called time on his 20-year career after leaving Scottish football last term for a season in the English Football League.
And speaking to BBC Scotland, Madden addressed the claims that followed him during his officiating days in Scotland.
He said: "This has been bandied about for years and I can speak openly now, and I think anyone who knows me will know. I was raised by my grandparents and my grandfather was a massive Rangers fan and took me to Ibrox until I was about 12 or 13. And through ill-health stopped going.
"My brother was a St Mirren fan. But at that point of 12, 13, 14, I started running, I became a junior international, so I really took a limited interest in football at that stage. When I didn't have a race, I would go to Love Street as it was called at the time.
"I would go there with my brother who had a season ticket. So no, you hear the rumours, I'm a mason, a shareholder, I ran a supporters bus.
"It's very easy to create a rumour now and if someone says I used to work with him, it gives a degree of credibility and they can put anything on that.
"I worked in a distribution centre for 12 years. They knew I was a runner, on spare weekends I went to Love Street. I actually sat beside some people who worked with us I knew, people will always try
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