Mick
The Ref Aficionado.
As we try to preserve our 100% record in all cup competitions against Millwall, the man in charge of tomorrow's match needs little introduction. It will be Simon Hooper from Swindon refereeing Southend for the seventh time in his 8th season as a League referee. On Swindon’s books as a junior he was released at the age of 16 and turned his attentions towards refereeing. He also represented Wiltshire at tennis and athletics in his younger days.
This will be his second visit to Roots Hall this season, having done the 2-1 home win over Peterborough when he started badly and improved slightly as the game went on. One yellow apiece, ours to Leonard.
Before that he was, of course, the man who refereed the Play-Off Final last year and who, in my opinion, did so rather badly. Someone must like him because he has already been given a Premiership match this season; suffice to say he probably won't get another one any time soon. Even after that poor performance virtually all his matches were Championship games until just recently; his last three matches being at Wimbledon, Crewe and Welling.
Prior to that final, his most recent Southend match was the unfortunate game at Mansfield the season before last when we lost 2-1 and had Clifford sent off along with yellows for Bentley, White and Barnard. Phil Brown went very public with his criticism of the referee on this occasion and it seems from the Wembley performance and since that Hooper still bears a grudge!
Before that it was the early season home draw with Northampton in 2011/12 - yellows for Mohsni, Grant and Phillips and 2 yellows and a red for them. His previous visit to Roots Hall was the match against Brighton (0-1) which I believe sealed our relegation in 2009/10. Only a yellow apiece, ours went to Moussa.
The other match was a win at Hereford, as always, in 2008/9 with all four yellows going to the home team.
He was also 4th Official at the away leg of our Orient JPT triumph en route to our last visit to Wembley.
His card count this season is a low 51 yellows and 2 reds from 21 matches, having been pretty average last season in this respect.
Assisting are Stuart Butler from Maidstone and Dumitru-Ravel Cheosiaua from Redditch. The latter, the Referees Appointments Officer for Worcestershire FA, makes his first visit to Roots Hall although he's done a few away games. Fourth Official is a "proper" referee, Andy Davies from Hampshire, in his fourth season as a Football League referee. He is a former professional with Portsmouth, Gillingham and Yeovil, who had to stop playing through injury at the age of 28 so turned to refereeing in 2003.
This will be his second visit to Roots Hall this season, having done the 2-1 home win over Peterborough when he started badly and improved slightly as the game went on. One yellow apiece, ours to Leonard.
Before that he was, of course, the man who refereed the Play-Off Final last year and who, in my opinion, did so rather badly. Someone must like him because he has already been given a Premiership match this season; suffice to say he probably won't get another one any time soon. Even after that poor performance virtually all his matches were Championship games until just recently; his last three matches being at Wimbledon, Crewe and Welling.
Prior to that final, his most recent Southend match was the unfortunate game at Mansfield the season before last when we lost 2-1 and had Clifford sent off along with yellows for Bentley, White and Barnard. Phil Brown went very public with his criticism of the referee on this occasion and it seems from the Wembley performance and since that Hooper still bears a grudge!
Before that it was the early season home draw with Northampton in 2011/12 - yellows for Mohsni, Grant and Phillips and 2 yellows and a red for them. His previous visit to Roots Hall was the match against Brighton (0-1) which I believe sealed our relegation in 2009/10. Only a yellow apiece, ours went to Moussa.
The other match was a win at Hereford, as always, in 2008/9 with all four yellows going to the home team.
He was also 4th Official at the away leg of our Orient JPT triumph en route to our last visit to Wembley.
His card count this season is a low 51 yellows and 2 reds from 21 matches, having been pretty average last season in this respect.
Assisting are Stuart Butler from Maidstone and Dumitru-Ravel Cheosiaua from Redditch. The latter, the Referees Appointments Officer for Worcestershire FA, makes his first visit to Roots Hall although he's done a few away games. Fourth Official is a "proper" referee, Andy Davies from Hampshire, in his fourth season as a Football League referee. He is a former professional with Portsmouth, Gillingham and Yeovil, who had to stop playing through injury at the age of 28 so turned to refereeing in 2003.
