Mick
Life President
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- Oct 28, 2003
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We hold a 20-19 lead in League matches against Peterborough and they haven't won at Roots Hall this millennium, their last victory coming in 1999, with a team that included Andy Edwards.
The referee for tomorrow is in his fourth season as a League referee. He is Bristol-born Kevin Johnson from Weston-Super-Mare, a shaven-headed 40 year old who works in property maintenance.
The former Bristol Evening Post newspaper printer was promoted to the Football League National panel of referees at the start of the 2014/15 season following six seasons in the middle for Conference games.
He began officiating during his late teens in the Bristol and Suburban and Gloucestershire County Leagues before taking charge of Western League and Southern League fixtures. A little later he progressed up the ladder to assistant referee with the Conference National before being given an opportunity eight seasons ago to referee at that level. His hopes of further progression were hampered by a persistent calf muscle injury which affected him during 2010/12, a condition he appears to have shaken off for good.
His first two seasons in the League went reasonably well, with a few Championship appointments. His card count was decidedly average throughout those first two years, but has risen a little since. Thus far this season his 11 games have seen 40 yellows and a massive 6 reds.
We will be wanting to see a much better performance from him than was the case on his last visit, which won't be difficult, although a repeat of the same scoreline will be more than welcome.
That last match was at the back end of last season for the 3-0 win over Oldham. His dismissal of Leonard inspired 3 late goals. In addition there were 7 yellows; Wordsworth, Cox and Coker were our three. Not his finest hour.
There were two previous matches last season:
The first was back in October at Roots Hall for the 1-0 win over Chesterfield (Thompson got the goal and Coker and Leonard got our two yellow cards - to their one). He had a decent game.
The second was the first match of 2017, the away goalless draw at Swindon and he didn't attract too many comments favourable or otherwise. Thompson and Demetriou picked up yellows along with a couple of theirs.
Before that came the away game at Peterborough the season before last, also a goalless draw, when he was somewhat embarrassed by the incredible exhibition of semaphore flag waving by one of his assistants. That match saw yellows for Bolger and Hendrie but no home players.
Previously came two more home games. Firstly, 2014/15's home match against Shrewsbury when we won, and all the cards (4 yellows and a red) were shown to the visitors. Unsurprisingly there were few complaints.
Then 2015/16 he took charge of our home win over Scunthorpe, again few complaints with our only yellow going to Deegan and three for the visitors. So an unbeaten record with Mr Johnson, what can go wrong ?.
One Assistant will be Andrew Laver from Portsmouth. The other Assistant is Leigh Crowhurst from Uckfield in East Sussex. He is a chartered landscape architect and has all manner of degrees and diplomas in horticulture and landscaping; he'll be impressed by the pitch !!
Fourth official is regular visitor from Dartford, Darren Blunden.
The referee for tomorrow is in his fourth season as a League referee. He is Bristol-born Kevin Johnson from Weston-Super-Mare, a shaven-headed 40 year old who works in property maintenance.
The former Bristol Evening Post newspaper printer was promoted to the Football League National panel of referees at the start of the 2014/15 season following six seasons in the middle for Conference games.
He began officiating during his late teens in the Bristol and Suburban and Gloucestershire County Leagues before taking charge of Western League and Southern League fixtures. A little later he progressed up the ladder to assistant referee with the Conference National before being given an opportunity eight seasons ago to referee at that level. His hopes of further progression were hampered by a persistent calf muscle injury which affected him during 2010/12, a condition he appears to have shaken off for good.
His first two seasons in the League went reasonably well, with a few Championship appointments. His card count was decidedly average throughout those first two years, but has risen a little since. Thus far this season his 11 games have seen 40 yellows and a massive 6 reds.
We will be wanting to see a much better performance from him than was the case on his last visit, which won't be difficult, although a repeat of the same scoreline will be more than welcome.
That last match was at the back end of last season for the 3-0 win over Oldham. His dismissal of Leonard inspired 3 late goals. In addition there were 7 yellows; Wordsworth, Cox and Coker were our three. Not his finest hour.
There were two previous matches last season:
The first was back in October at Roots Hall for the 1-0 win over Chesterfield (Thompson got the goal and Coker and Leonard got our two yellow cards - to their one). He had a decent game.
The second was the first match of 2017, the away goalless draw at Swindon and he didn't attract too many comments favourable or otherwise. Thompson and Demetriou picked up yellows along with a couple of theirs.
Before that came the away game at Peterborough the season before last, also a goalless draw, when he was somewhat embarrassed by the incredible exhibition of semaphore flag waving by one of his assistants. That match saw yellows for Bolger and Hendrie but no home players.
Previously came two more home games. Firstly, 2014/15's home match against Shrewsbury when we won, and all the cards (4 yellows and a red) were shown to the visitors. Unsurprisingly there were few complaints.
Then 2015/16 he took charge of our home win over Scunthorpe, again few complaints with our only yellow going to Deegan and three for the visitors. So an unbeaten record with Mr Johnson, what can go wrong ?.
One Assistant will be Andrew Laver from Portsmouth. The other Assistant is Leigh Crowhurst from Uckfield in East Sussex. He is a chartered landscape architect and has all manner of degrees and diplomas in horticulture and landscaping; he'll be impressed by the pitch !!
Fourth official is regular visitor from Dartford, Darren Blunden.
