Mick
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For the last time, almost certainly, Saturday's man in charge is the loose cannon that is Trevor Kettle. Or, rather, ex Wing Commander Trevor Kettle who used to work for the RAF and Ministry of Defence (worrying thought for those who've seen him referee). His Armed Forces days are behind him and he now works as the Sales Director for a firm of precision engineers in Melton Mowbray.
His most recent Southend match was earlier this year for our home match against Bradford City – a 1-3 defeat with just a solitary yellow for Cordner; a quiet day for him. Previously was last season at home to Gillingham when we lost 0-1 with two yellows apiece – Kelman and Mitchell-Nelson for us. Before that came our defeat at Sunderland by just the odd goal - just a yellow for Hopper and two of theirs; another quiet day for him.
Before that was the previous season’s home win over Scunthorpe. We got all the goals, they got all the cards (3 yellows and a red) so all good there!
Before that was the miserable midweek away defeat at Luton earlier that same season. Yellows for Demetriou and Hyam plus one of theirs.
He brought the curtain down on our away schedule 2017/18 at Bradford (a match he did for the second year running). Again all was good - a win and no cards.
The season before he did three Southend matches starting with that first match at Bradford for our midweek 1-1 draw booking our goalscorer, Wordsworth and a couple of theirs. Then came our 1-1 home draw with Oxford in that ever so low key Checkatrade match - caution for Timlin and 2 of theirs.
Then came the 2-0 defeat at Bristol Rovers where he cautioned one of theirs and Ferdinand, Atkinson, Demetriou and Cox.
He also brought the curtain down on 2015/16 when (on the advice of an Assistant) he awarded a contentious, but not necessarily wrong, match-winning penalty in the last minute of the last match of last season. A couple of yellows, Worrall and Mooney, and a trip to the stands for Phil Brown.
Before those came the 2015/16 defeat at Burton when a solitary Prosser o.g. produced our first ever defeat with Kettle in charge. Two yellows apiece, ours went to Leonard and Wordsworth.
Previously it was the season before's comfortable home win (2-0) against Carlisle; a bit of an anti-climax on the Kettle front with just one yellow card for them.
Before that his last two visits to the Hall were co-incidentally both against Cheltenham. Firstly when he was good enough to send off one of theirs early on in our 4-0 win in 2011/12 and more recently 2013/14 last when a late, late penalty earned Cheltenham a point. Yellows for Prosser, Corr and Straker and one of theirs.
This is his 18th season as a League referee and his matches have been littered with controversy and condemnation throughout. I am sure there is not the slightest truth in the rumour that he only obtained and retained his position by virtue of his marriage to the daughter of the man who used to be in charge of Football League referees (Mr Ashworth). A referee noted for extreme over-reactions and maverick decisions. His general decision making has varied between random and perverse. His worst excesses are behind him these days and we are just left with the poor decision making from a not particularly mobile official.
This is his 30th Southend match and we have a good overall record with him in charge (won 15, drawn 7, lost 7), although all 7 defeats have come in his last 11 matches of which we have won only 2.
However his matches have not been uneventful and include:
11/12 Cheltenham H – sent off one of theirs
11/12 AFC Wimbledon A - sent off one of theirs
10/11 Barnet A - not great - booked Hall & Easton
09/10 Brentford H - not great - booked Macca
09/10 Orient H decent game - booked Macca
08/09 Stockport H - sent off Harding
07/08 Oxford H - 8 yellows
07/08 Oldham A - sent off Richards (successfully appealed)
06/07 WBA H - 7 yellows
05/06 Bradford A - sent off one of theirs
05/06 Bournemouth H - sent off one of theirs
03/04 Canvey H - 5 yellows
03/04 Canvey A - 8 yellows and sent off Warren
03/04 Carlisle H - just 2 yellows but it was one of his first matches
He has actually had a couple of reasonable matches, especially a couple of seasons ago, when I have seen him, but needless to say these have been few and far between. His most recent away games before Burton were 2012/13 win at Aldershot (4 yellows, only Straker for us) and, in the same season our win at Wycombe in which he cautioned both of our forward pairing of Corr and Assombalonga.
His yellow card count has dropped dramatically as his career nears its end, not quickly enough.
This season he has shown just 86 yellows and 5 reds in 31 matches.
He comes to Southend fresh from a cardless match at Stevenage last Tuesday; the last season he had two consecutive cardless matches was 2006/7 so long odds on a repeat Saturday. Coincidentally his only other cardless League game this season was just prior to his previous Roots Hall appearance.
Assisting will Justin Amey from Bournemouth, a non-league referee who once sent off a Bashley player in the 3rd second of a match and Robert Dabbs from Weymouth making his Roots Hall debut. Landscape gardener and horticulturist, Leigh Crowhurst from Uckfield in East Sussex stands by as Fourth Official.
His most recent Southend match was earlier this year for our home match against Bradford City – a 1-3 defeat with just a solitary yellow for Cordner; a quiet day for him. Previously was last season at home to Gillingham when we lost 0-1 with two yellows apiece – Kelman and Mitchell-Nelson for us. Before that came our defeat at Sunderland by just the odd goal - just a yellow for Hopper and two of theirs; another quiet day for him.
Before that was the previous season’s home win over Scunthorpe. We got all the goals, they got all the cards (3 yellows and a red) so all good there!
Before that was the miserable midweek away defeat at Luton earlier that same season. Yellows for Demetriou and Hyam plus one of theirs.
He brought the curtain down on our away schedule 2017/18 at Bradford (a match he did for the second year running). Again all was good - a win and no cards.
The season before he did three Southend matches starting with that first match at Bradford for our midweek 1-1 draw booking our goalscorer, Wordsworth and a couple of theirs. Then came our 1-1 home draw with Oxford in that ever so low key Checkatrade match - caution for Timlin and 2 of theirs.
Then came the 2-0 defeat at Bristol Rovers where he cautioned one of theirs and Ferdinand, Atkinson, Demetriou and Cox.
He also brought the curtain down on 2015/16 when (on the advice of an Assistant) he awarded a contentious, but not necessarily wrong, match-winning penalty in the last minute of the last match of last season. A couple of yellows, Worrall and Mooney, and a trip to the stands for Phil Brown.
Before those came the 2015/16 defeat at Burton when a solitary Prosser o.g. produced our first ever defeat with Kettle in charge. Two yellows apiece, ours went to Leonard and Wordsworth.
Previously it was the season before's comfortable home win (2-0) against Carlisle; a bit of an anti-climax on the Kettle front with just one yellow card for them.
Before that his last two visits to the Hall were co-incidentally both against Cheltenham. Firstly when he was good enough to send off one of theirs early on in our 4-0 win in 2011/12 and more recently 2013/14 last when a late, late penalty earned Cheltenham a point. Yellows for Prosser, Corr and Straker and one of theirs.
This is his 18th season as a League referee and his matches have been littered with controversy and condemnation throughout. I am sure there is not the slightest truth in the rumour that he only obtained and retained his position by virtue of his marriage to the daughter of the man who used to be in charge of Football League referees (Mr Ashworth). A referee noted for extreme over-reactions and maverick decisions. His general decision making has varied between random and perverse. His worst excesses are behind him these days and we are just left with the poor decision making from a not particularly mobile official.
This is his 30th Southend match and we have a good overall record with him in charge (won 15, drawn 7, lost 7), although all 7 defeats have come in his last 11 matches of which we have won only 2.
However his matches have not been uneventful and include:
11/12 Cheltenham H – sent off one of theirs
11/12 AFC Wimbledon A - sent off one of theirs
10/11 Barnet A - not great - booked Hall & Easton
09/10 Brentford H - not great - booked Macca
09/10 Orient H decent game - booked Macca
08/09 Stockport H - sent off Harding
07/08 Oxford H - 8 yellows
07/08 Oldham A - sent off Richards (successfully appealed)
06/07 WBA H - 7 yellows
05/06 Bradford A - sent off one of theirs
05/06 Bournemouth H - sent off one of theirs
03/04 Canvey H - 5 yellows
03/04 Canvey A - 8 yellows and sent off Warren
03/04 Carlisle H - just 2 yellows but it was one of his first matches
He has actually had a couple of reasonable matches, especially a couple of seasons ago, when I have seen him, but needless to say these have been few and far between. His most recent away games before Burton were 2012/13 win at Aldershot (4 yellows, only Straker for us) and, in the same season our win at Wycombe in which he cautioned both of our forward pairing of Corr and Assombalonga.
His yellow card count has dropped dramatically as his career nears its end, not quickly enough.
This season he has shown just 86 yellows and 5 reds in 31 matches.
He comes to Southend fresh from a cardless match at Stevenage last Tuesday; the last season he had two consecutive cardless matches was 2006/7 so long odds on a repeat Saturday. Coincidentally his only other cardless League game this season was just prior to his previous Roots Hall appearance.
Assisting will Justin Amey from Bournemouth, a non-league referee who once sent off a Bashley player in the 3rd second of a match and Robert Dabbs from Weymouth making his Roots Hall debut. Landscape gardener and horticulturist, Leigh Crowhurst from Uckfield in East Sussex stands by as Fourth Official.
