Mick
The Ref Aficionado.
The referee in charge of tomorrow's match is a member of the Select Group of Premiership referees working his way back in to the game after a long injury. He is Lee Probert from Wiltshire spending his 44th birthday at Port Vale.
He has actually only refereed 7 Premier League matches in the last two and a bit years, the last of which was when he sent off Fellaini at Hull at the back end of 2014/15.
His first Southend match was the home defeat to Huddersfield by 2-1 in 2003/4 with all four cautions going to the visitors.
The following season it was our win at Rushden, also 2-1, when they got a red with one yellow each. Ours went to Che Wilson.
In 2005/6 he did two of our matches. Firstly the 4-2 win at Rotherham (yellows for Maher and Hunt) then the 1-1 home draw with Barnsley (Lawson and JCR picking up yellows).
Next came the cardless Championship home 1-0 defeat to Palace in 2006/7 and finally a year later the 1-0 victory over Leeds with Barnard getting the goal and a yellow, the other yellow went to Bailey.
After that we went down and he went up and our paths have not crossed since.
His first match for a long while was last Saturday's 1-1 draw between Cheltenham and Leyton Orient (4 yellows).
Assisting will be Andrew Fox from Coventry and Timothy Wood from Quedgeley in Gloucester with Marvyn Amphlett (who was reserve official at Wembley against Crewe) from Worcester doing the Fourth Official stuff.
He has actually only refereed 7 Premier League matches in the last two and a bit years, the last of which was when he sent off Fellaini at Hull at the back end of 2014/15.
His first Southend match was the home defeat to Huddersfield by 2-1 in 2003/4 with all four cautions going to the visitors.
The following season it was our win at Rushden, also 2-1, when they got a red with one yellow each. Ours went to Che Wilson.
In 2005/6 he did two of our matches. Firstly the 4-2 win at Rotherham (yellows for Maher and Hunt) then the 1-1 home draw with Barnsley (Lawson and JCR picking up yellows).
Next came the cardless Championship home 1-0 defeat to Palace in 2006/7 and finally a year later the 1-0 victory over Leeds with Barnard getting the goal and a yellow, the other yellow went to Bailey.
After that we went down and he went up and our paths have not crossed since.
His first match for a long while was last Saturday's 1-1 draw between Cheltenham and Leyton Orient (4 yellows).
Assisting will be Andrew Fox from Coventry and Timothy Wood from Quedgeley in Gloucester with Marvyn Amphlett (who was reserve official at Wembley against Crewe) from Worcester doing the Fourth Official stuff.
