Mick
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For our first ever match against Forest Green Rovers, we have ex-Premier League referee, Keith Stroud from Gillingham (the one in Dorset).
In his seventeenth season as a League referee he has risen through the ranks and was employed as a PGMO Select Group official for 2 years, although he was given no Premier League matches for the second of those years whilst they sorted out contractual issues. He is still a full-time referee, but now in SG2 predominantly doing Championship games. On Saturday he took charge of Bristol City v Derby.
His last Southend match was on New Years Day 2019 for our 2-0 win over Gillingham. Theo Robinson sent off late in the game and a yellow for Elvis and a couple of theirs.
His previous visit to Roots Hall was about a year earlier - a 2-1 defeat at home to Bradford City and not his finest hour either. Yellows for Ranger, Wright and Leonard, followed by a red for Leonard and three yellows for them.
Before that was the home game against Wigan in 2015/16. Goalless and level on cards too; our three went to Atkinson, Mooney and Thompson.
Previously came an exceptional performance when he took charge of that difficult away play-off match at Stevenage at the end of 2014/15. Seven yellows (Bolger, Deegan, Corr and Worrall for us) and 3 for them.
Before that was the home victory over Northampton 2014/15 when he sent off the visiting keeper when awarding a penalty, which set us on our way to three points. Also three cautions for them and yellows for Prosser and Thompson for us.
Then came that excellent evening at Leyton Orientin 2012/13 which set us up for our trip to Wembley. Kept the lid on a competitive match with 3 yellows apiece (Clohessey, Barker and Timlin before he went off).
Then the disappointing home defeat by Burton, also in 2012/13 back in the days of the embargo (or one of them) when he red-carded Spicer for a poor challenge; yellows for Assombalonga and Timlim.
Before that he previously refereed Southend in the JPT match at Dagenham which he and we cruised through without any problems. Prior to that it was the Barnet match also in the JPT in which he showed plenty of yellows, mainly to them, and a red to Mohsni. One of Patersons finest (few) moments in a Southend shirt.
Before those matches he had done Southend 6 times (2 w 2 l 2 d) the most notable being the vital end of season victory against Bristol City. The only previous away games were also in London - the 2-2 draw at Orient (Eastwood and Gray scoring) and, more recently, at Millwall (1-1) when he booked 7 (4 of them theirs).
A somewhat short official who doesn't hesitate to produce cards if necessary but is right more often than wrong. He does appear to like being noticed and has been called fussy.
He has shown a remarkably low (for him) 21 yellows and 1 red from 10 matches - 8 in the Championship.
Assisting will be Sam Lewis, a medical recruitment director from Milton Keynes and Mark Jones from Nottingham. The more local Lloyd Wood from Romford stands by with the numbers board. Fourth Official is one time paying customer at Roots Hall, Rob Whitton from Braintree. At one stage he was a whisker away from getting on the Football League referees' list. He had a trial League Two match but for whatever reason it didn't happen. He is, in my opinion, an excellent non-league referee.
In his seventeenth season as a League referee he has risen through the ranks and was employed as a PGMO Select Group official for 2 years, although he was given no Premier League matches for the second of those years whilst they sorted out contractual issues. He is still a full-time referee, but now in SG2 predominantly doing Championship games. On Saturday he took charge of Bristol City v Derby.
His last Southend match was on New Years Day 2019 for our 2-0 win over Gillingham. Theo Robinson sent off late in the game and a yellow for Elvis and a couple of theirs.
His previous visit to Roots Hall was about a year earlier - a 2-1 defeat at home to Bradford City and not his finest hour either. Yellows for Ranger, Wright and Leonard, followed by a red for Leonard and three yellows for them.
Before that was the home game against Wigan in 2015/16. Goalless and level on cards too; our three went to Atkinson, Mooney and Thompson.
Previously came an exceptional performance when he took charge of that difficult away play-off match at Stevenage at the end of 2014/15. Seven yellows (Bolger, Deegan, Corr and Worrall for us) and 3 for them.
Before that was the home victory over Northampton 2014/15 when he sent off the visiting keeper when awarding a penalty, which set us on our way to three points. Also three cautions for them and yellows for Prosser and Thompson for us.
Then came that excellent evening at Leyton Orientin 2012/13 which set us up for our trip to Wembley. Kept the lid on a competitive match with 3 yellows apiece (Clohessey, Barker and Timlin before he went off).
Then the disappointing home defeat by Burton, also in 2012/13 back in the days of the embargo (or one of them) when he red-carded Spicer for a poor challenge; yellows for Assombalonga and Timlim.
Before that he previously refereed Southend in the JPT match at Dagenham which he and we cruised through without any problems. Prior to that it was the Barnet match also in the JPT in which he showed plenty of yellows, mainly to them, and a red to Mohsni. One of Patersons finest (few) moments in a Southend shirt.
Before those matches he had done Southend 6 times (2 w 2 l 2 d) the most notable being the vital end of season victory against Bristol City. The only previous away games were also in London - the 2-2 draw at Orient (Eastwood and Gray scoring) and, more recently, at Millwall (1-1) when he booked 7 (4 of them theirs).
A somewhat short official who doesn't hesitate to produce cards if necessary but is right more often than wrong. He does appear to like being noticed and has been called fussy.
He has shown a remarkably low (for him) 21 yellows and 1 red from 10 matches - 8 in the Championship.
Assisting will be Sam Lewis, a medical recruitment director from Milton Keynes and Mark Jones from Nottingham. The more local Lloyd Wood from Romford stands by with the numbers board. Fourth Official is one time paying customer at Roots Hall, Rob Whitton from Braintree. At one stage he was a whisker away from getting on the Football League referees' list. He had a trial League Two match but for whatever reason it didn't happen. He is, in my opinion, an excellent non-league referee.
