Mick
The Ref Aficionado.
Saturday's referee for our match on a ground we haven't lost at for 26 years, is Graham Horwood from Luton, in his 4th year as a League referee and refereeing his first Southend away game.
He has however made four visits to Roots Hall in his short League career and they weren't too bad. The most recent was the final home game of the season before last against Cheltenham. The other three were Hereford in the same season and Rochdale in the cup and Bournemouth in the League the year before that. So we have a 100% record with this official, mind you most of his red cards have been shown to away players and home advantage counts for more with some officials than others.
Or will it be him ?
Of the last three Southend games he was appointed to, he has actually done none.
He was appointed for the Cheltenham away League Cup tie but changed at the last minute when they cocked up the appointments.
He was then apponted for the away match last season at Brighton but withdrew through injury.
Then he was appointed for last season's desperately unlucky performance at Norwich but was replaced for some reason.
Average cards but he has a reputation of being a somewhat fussy referee but as I've said before, he can't be that fussy if he lives in Luton.
Assisting will be Andy Laver from Portsmouth and Adrian Tranter from Poole who makes his Football League debut on the line. Fourth official will be Tim Robinson from West Sussex.
He has however made four visits to Roots Hall in his short League career and they weren't too bad. The most recent was the final home game of the season before last against Cheltenham. The other three were Hereford in the same season and Rochdale in the cup and Bournemouth in the League the year before that. So we have a 100% record with this official, mind you most of his red cards have been shown to away players and home advantage counts for more with some officials than others.
Or will it be him ?
Of the last three Southend games he was appointed to, he has actually done none.
He was appointed for the Cheltenham away League Cup tie but changed at the last minute when they cocked up the appointments.
He was then apponted for the away match last season at Brighton but withdrew through injury.
Then he was appointed for last season's desperately unlucky performance at Norwich but was replaced for some reason.
Average cards but he has a reputation of being a somewhat fussy referee but as I've said before, he can't be that fussy if he lives in Luton.
Assisting will be Andy Laver from Portsmouth and Adrian Tranter from Poole who makes his Football League debut on the line. Fourth official will be Tim Robinson from West Sussex.
