Robert Madley takes charge of Newcastle United’s
crunch clash with Aston Villa
The penultimate week of the 2015/16 season, and
what a campaign it’s been.
Another unpredictable Premier League, but there
has been one constant. Aside from one or two
blameless individuals, PGMOL’s finest have greatly
under performed again.
Just how is Mike Riley going to address the same
over the summer and what have the paying public,
players and managers got to look forward to next
season?
Perhaps one or two can redeem themselves this
week and next. Let’s take a look at who is refereeing
in Week 37…
—
Craig Pawson: Norwich City v Manchester United
Assistants: M. Mullarkey and D. Bryan
Fourth official: K. Hill
A must-win game for both sides and for entirely
different reasons.
Norwich are still just about hanging onto their
Premier League status, but a defeat here could see
the relegation trap door opening ever wider.
The Red Devils on the other hand are in a race with
West Ham – who they play in midweek – and
Manchester City for the fourth Champions League
spot.
Louis Van Gaal’s men are one of the teams in form,
United having found some belated momentum just
at the right time.
The Canaries have already complained about Craig
Pawson earlier this season when the official failed to
award Alex Neil’s side a blatant penalty in a game
which they ended up losing 1-0.
Card marked.
Craig Pawson – all you need to know
Matches in 2015/16: 27 (16 on TV)
Fourth official appointments in 2015/16: 19
Football League appointments in 2015/16: 37
Last refereed Norwich City: 5 March 2016
Last refereed Manchester United: 28 February 2016
–
Robert Madley: Aston Villa v Newcastle United
Assistants: P. Kirkup and M. Perry
Fourth official: L. Mason
Since the arrival of Rafael Benitez, Newcastle have
picked themselves up and picked up points that were
previously extremely hard to come by.
The Spaniard needs to ensure that his players keep
their eye on the ball and just because they’re playing
the bottom team in Aston Villa, who’ve nothing to
play for, that focus has to be maintained.
Robert Madley is an unwise choice by Mike Riley.
Although the young official is a safe pair of hands in
general terms, he has wilted under pressure.
Particularly in the Tyne-Wear derby earlier this
season where his sending off of Fabricio Coloccini was
subsequently overturned by the FA.
Get it wrong again here and he could cost the
Magpies their Premier League status.
Robert Madley – all you need to know
Matches in 2015/16: 26 (8 on TV)
Fourth official appointments in 2015/16: 18
Football League appointments in 2015/16: 32
Last refereed Aston Villa: 23 January 2016
Last refereed Newcastle United: 9 April 2016
–
Mark Clattenburg: Bournemouth v West
Bromwich Albion
Assistants: J. Brooks and A. Halliday
Fourth official: M. Haywood
Two contrasting styles meet head on with both safe
and no doubt already planning for next season.
You only have to look at how well Mark Clattenburg
took charge of a pressure cooker London derby
between Chelsea and Spurs to understand what the
official brings to his role.
Peerless.
He’ll certainly waltz through this affair as he begins to
look a little further ahead to the European
Championships.
Mark Clattenburg – all you need to know
Matches in 2015/16: 29 (13 on TV)
Fourth official appointments in 2015/16: 10
Football League appointments in 2015/16: 43
Last refereed Bournemouth: 8 August 2015
Last refereed West Bromwich Albion: 1 March 2016
–
Kevin Friend: Crystal Palace v Stoke City
Assistants: S. Beck and A. Nunn
Fourth official: D. Handley
One of those end of season dead rubbers that means
nothing to either side – no quarter will be asked or
given here.
Kevin Friend will definitely get to officiate a Stoke
game this time, after being taken off of their game
versus Spurs three weeks ago because of hailing from
Leicester.
Neither manager is a particular fan of the official
having had numerous causes for complaint about his
work in the past.
Mike Riley is a glutton for punishment isn’t he…
Kevin Friend – all you need to know
Matches in 2015/16: 19 (4 on TV)
Fourth official appointments in 2015/16: 26
Football League appointments in 2015/16: 29
Last refereed Crystal Palace: 3 January 2016
Last refereed Stoke City: 27 February 2016
–
Mike Jones: Sunderland v Chelsea
Assistants: R. West and M. Scholes
Fourth official: G. Scott
Jermain Defoe’s 94th-minute equaliser at Stoke may
yet prove to be of vital importance. Two from three
to go down and there’s still everything to play for.
While there’s still a chance of staying up, Sam
Allardyce won’t let his players rest for a second.
Putting sweat on the shirt is an overused phrase but
that is the minimum requirement from every
Sunderland player.
Historically, Sunderland have had cause for concern
with Mike Jones. It goes all the way back to the ‘beach
ball’ incident against Liverpool.
Recently he has redeemed himself many times over
and it’s the Blues who might be left scratching their
heads at the appointment of an official who was
never in Jose Mourinho’s good books.
Mike Jones – all you need to know
Matches in 2015/16: 27 (5 on TV)
Fourth official appointments in 2015/16: 18
Football League appointments in 2015/16: 38
Last refereed Sunderland: 7 November 2015
Last refereed Chelsea: 16 January 2016
–
Michael Oliver: West Ham United v Swansea City
Assistants: G. Beswick and M. Wilkes
Fourth official: J. Moss
How everyone connected with the east London outfit
would love to sign off from Upton Park with their
most successful season since 1986.
Europe’s finest at the Olympic Stadium in 2016/17
would be a fitting way to begin.
Swansea have nothing to play for and, as such, can
stroke the ball about without pressure or urgency.
The onus is on the home side to take responsibility in
this game.
Michael Oliver should be able to see this one out
quite comfortably.
Although the Swans have a history with him, that was
with the previous management structure and with
just two games left, it’s an appointment that’s hardly
worth getting hot under the collar for.
Which Bilic might be if Oliver’s decision making cost
the hosts a European place.
Michael Oliver – all you need to know
Matches in 2015/16: 23 (11 on TV)
Fourth official appointments in 2015/16: 12
Football League appointments in 2015/16: 32
Last refereed West Ham United: 28 December 2015
Last refereed Swansea City: 18 January 2016
–
Andre Marriner: Leicester City v Everton
Assistants: S. Child and S. Ledger
Fourth official: G. Salisbury
What a season for Leicester. They’ve lost just three
games all season and outplayed the opposition in
most of the others.
However remarkable their story might be, no one
can truly say that they don’t deserve it.
The King Power Stadium will be packed to the rafters
and Roberto Martinez’s side won’t have many harder
90 minutes.
In fact, another reverse here could well signal the
end of the Spaniard’s tenure on Merseyside.
With the Premier League trophy presented at the
end of the game, a carnival atmosphere is
guaranteed so Andre Marriner can relax. Or can he?
The result doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of
things but it will still leave a sour taste if the official
was to put a dampener on things.
Everton are still smarting from a disaster of a new
year performance from the official which virtually
handed the result of their game against Man City to
Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
Que sera sera…
Andre Marriner – all you need to know
Matches in 2015/16: 24 (14 on TV)
Fourth official appointments in 2015/16: 19
Football League appointments in 2015/16: 33
Last refereed Leicester City: 2 February 2016
Last refereed Everton: 3 April 2016
–
Jonathan Moss: Tottenham Hotspur v
Southampton
Assistants: A. Holmes and H. Lennard
Fourth official: M. Oliver
Two of the finest footballing sides in the English top
flight and we could well see one of the games of the
season at White Hart Lane.
Hungry young players are a feature of both teams
and White Hart Lane promises to be white hot at
times for this one.
The rest of the game could be quite funereal given
how the title was lost last time out and the
atmosphere could turn toxic if Jonathan Moss has as
poor a game as he did when Leicester played West
Ham a couple of weeks ago.
His drop in performances across the season might
even see Riley question his place on the elite list for
the forthcoming campaign.
Jonathan Moss – all you need to know
Matches in 2015/16: 24 (12 on TV)
Fourth official appointments in 2015/16: 20
Football League appointments in 2015/16: 31
Last refereed Tottenham Hotpsur: 2 April 2016
Last refereed Southampton: 13 February 2016
–
Lee Mason: Liverpool v Watford
Assistants: D. Cann and E. Smart
Fourth official: R. Madley
Jurgen Klopp will probably view his half season as a
success, as he continues to shape the side how he
prefers.
It’ll certainly be a busy summer in the red half of
Merseyside that’s for sure.
Quique Sanchez Flores should be proud of the job
he’s done at Watford, even though it seems that his
tenure is coming to an end.
All of the noises from Vicarage Road suggest a change
is on the cards, and that’s tough on the Spaniard who
has got the Hornets playing as well as at any time in
the last few years.
Whenever Lee Mason takes charge of a Liverpool
game there seems to be problems.
Jurgen Klopp was unhappy with the standard of his
work last time out, Brendan Rodgers has been fined
for talking out of turn concerning the same. Sky’s
Gary Neville lambasted the official at the start of the
season for decisions – or more accurately, lack of
them – during games.
Should be fun then.
Lee Mason – all you need to know
Matches in 2015/16: 19 (6 on TV)
Fourth official appointments in 2015/16: 21
Football League appointments in 2015/16: 31
Last refereed Liverpool: 23 January 2016
Last refereed Watford: 28 November 2015
—
Anthony Taylor: Manchester City v Arsenal
Assistants: L. Betts and S. Burt
Fourth official: M. Jones
The race for the automatic Champions League spot
couldn’t be tighter, and this game could signal the
end for one or other of the parties involved.
A game between two managers who aren’t really
appreciated. One whose fans want him out, the other
whose club have got him out.
Anthony Taylor has been dropped from the list by
PGMOL more than once after officiating Arsenal
games. Which makes the decision to hand him
another one all the stranger.
Still in with an outside chance of second spot, things
could equally go awry and the Gunners could end the
day staring fourth in the face.
If Taylor has a role to play in the same, there is likely
to be a lot more than fan led protests and petitions
to stop him refereeing their games in future.
Anthony Taylor – all you need to know
Matches in 2015/16: 31 (15 on TV)
Fourth official appointments in 2015/16: 17
Football League appointments in 2015/16: 41
Last refereed Manchester City: 6 February 2016
Last refereed Arsenal: 2 April 2016
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