Chris Graham has been appointed as the referee for Rangers' Premiership match against St Johnstone at Ibrox on Saturday. It will be his first Rangers assignment in two years, following a controversial previous visit. The fixture, scheduled for Saturday 24 October, sees the second-placed side host the fifth-placed team.
Graham last officiated a Rangers game in a Premier Sports Cup quarter-final two seasons ago. In that match, he did not award a penalty after Cyriel Dessers was wrestled to the floor by Mo Sylla inside the box. The Scottish Football Association later ruled that a penalty should have been given. Television pundit Michael Stewart said he "felt it was a clear penalty for Rangers".
Graham's season in numbers
Graham has taken charge of 10 matches across three competitions this season. He has handed out 40 cards in those games, averaging four per match. His three Premiership appointments this term include Motherwell's goalless draw with Falkirk, Celtic's 2-1 win over Falkirk and Hearts' 2-1 win over Dundee.
Clement's side looks to respond
Rangers go into the fixture looking to return to winning ways after a 2-2 draw at Dundee last time out. That result on Saturday 17 October saw Badredine Bouanani and Nicolas Raskin, assisted by Dan Neil, score for Rangers before Callum Jones equalised for the hosts. They are four points behind leaders Celtic. The team's overall record shows 13 goals scored and seven conceded this season. Their recent form is strong, with four wins and a draw from their last five matches, a run that includes a 3-1 win over Kilmarnock where Ryan Naderi scored twice and Kevin Kelsy also netted. Naderi is the team's top scorer this season with four goals in eight appearances. The team's recent form has seen them score in every one of their last 15 league matches, averaging 2.5 goals per game during that run.
St Johnstone arrive at Ibrox sitting fifth in the table with 12 points from their nine league games. They have lost three and won three of those matches. Derek McInnes's side will be without long-term injury absentee Zach Mitchell, who is on the injury list. The appointment of Graham adds an extra layer of narrative to a match Rangers need to win to maintain their title challenge. The Ibrox side will be keen to improve their goal minutes, having scored a significant portion of their league goals this season in the final 15 minutes of matches.
Background and full detail: BBC Scotland
