Mick
Life President
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2003
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Hardly a clash of in form clubs – Solihull have won just one in their last eight league matches, we’ve won one of our last seven. We have yet to beat Solihull after three attempts so it’s about time we did.
Saturday’s match is due to be refereed by Lewis Smith from Wigan. He is in his fourth season as a National League referee and appears to be a certainty for promotion to the Football League at the end of the season, if not sooner. He has already been given four Football League matches, two Football League Trophy matches and an FA Cup tie involving Charlton. His progress is unlikely to have been hindered by his day job being employed by Lancashire County FA as Football Services Officer and responsible for the recruitment, retention and development of all referees across Lancashire at both grassroots and elite levels. He is a keen Wigan Athletic supporter.
He has refereed Southend twice previously. Last season he took charge of our first home match in the National League, televised, against Stockport. A 0-1 defeat and 5 yellow cards – our two were Ralph and Agogo. I’m not sure the referee impressed too many people that day but given some that have followed, his performance might be viewed in a slightly more favourable light.
His second game, also last season and also televised was the away match at Bromley. A 1-1 draw and two yellows (Hobson and Atkinson) to us with one to them. I can’t remember too many, if any, issues with him.
His 16 matches at National League level or higher have produced 57 yellows and, as yet, no reds.
He was also Fourth Official for our Friday night draw at Tranmere some years back.
The down-side of him being highly rated is that if they need to pull a referee to cover a Football League game at short notice, it'll most probably be him.
Assisting will be Ryan Williams from Coventry and Christopher Myatt from Dartford.
Fourth Official is Richie Watkins from Nuneaton who performed the same role in that match at Bromley last season.
Saturday’s match is due to be refereed by Lewis Smith from Wigan. He is in his fourth season as a National League referee and appears to be a certainty for promotion to the Football League at the end of the season, if not sooner. He has already been given four Football League matches, two Football League Trophy matches and an FA Cup tie involving Charlton. His progress is unlikely to have been hindered by his day job being employed by Lancashire County FA as Football Services Officer and responsible for the recruitment, retention and development of all referees across Lancashire at both grassroots and elite levels. He is a keen Wigan Athletic supporter.
He has refereed Southend twice previously. Last season he took charge of our first home match in the National League, televised, against Stockport. A 0-1 defeat and 5 yellow cards – our two were Ralph and Agogo. I’m not sure the referee impressed too many people that day but given some that have followed, his performance might be viewed in a slightly more favourable light.
His second game, also last season and also televised was the away match at Bromley. A 1-1 draw and two yellows (Hobson and Atkinson) to us with one to them. I can’t remember too many, if any, issues with him.
His 16 matches at National League level or higher have produced 57 yellows and, as yet, no reds.
He was also Fourth Official for our Friday night draw at Tranmere some years back.
The down-side of him being highly rated is that if they need to pull a referee to cover a Football League game at short notice, it'll most probably be him.
Assisting will be Ryan Williams from Coventry and Christopher Myatt from Dartford.
Fourth Official is Richie Watkins from Nuneaton who performed the same role in that match at Bromley last season.
,,,,,,a ref "on the up" ....let's hope his (and our) performance today warrants praise !
