Mick
Life President
We are well ahead of Bury in head-to-head League wins (18-11) and they have won on none of their last eight visits to Roots Hall.
The man in charge of Saturday's match needs little introduction; he is Gavin Ward from Oxted in Surrey, whose many Southend games over the years can best be described as variable with a little more bad than good.
This will be the second season running that he has had the privilege of refereeing Southend v Bury, last season's fixture bringing the curtain down, disappointingly, on that season.
He's already done a Southend game this season (two, if you count the Brighton pre-season friendly), taking charge at Charlton last month. It was a curate's egg of a game from him with a spell late in the second half when he seemed barely in control. Four yellows in that match, Kightly and McGlashan.
We had him twice last season, once very early, once very late. That 1-0 win against Bury was in vain and I felt it was a bit of a "homer" performance from him. Two yellows for us (Amos and Robinson) and 4 for them. The early season match was back in August for the 1-1 home draw with Bristol Rovers when he showed yellows to McLaughlin, Cox and King (no, I don't remember him doing anything to warrant a booking or indeed anything at all) and two of theirs.
Prior to that we were spared him for a year and a half with his previous Southend match being the home goalless stalemate with Dagenham at the end of 2014. A red card for Bolger and 3 yellows to the visitors and he didn't excel. This was preceded by the defeat against Walsall in the League Cup, same season, when he wasn't really very good either, failing to dismiss an opposing player for a blatant DOGSO and displaying a lot of inconsistency and randomness in his 6 cautions (Prosser, Atkinson & Coker for our three).
Before that his four most recent Southend matches were definitely some of his better ones, taking charge of the entertaining home 0-0 with Port Vale early 2012/13 with 1 caution to us (Tomlin) and 2 to them. Later that same season he refereed a home win against Oxford. This time three cautions (Clohessy, Timlin and Corr) for us and one for them. Then more recently when we crashed out of the JPT in 2013/14 at home to Dagenham (3 yellows for us, 2 and a red for them) followed by later the same year, the 3-2 home defeat by Exeter in the match featuring Jason Williams' turn of speed and sleight of hand. Just one yellow for Freddie.
Before those, his last match, or should I say half a match, was the ill-fated fixture at Aldershot on Boxing Day 2011/12, when, in the eyes of some, he became a good referee because his bad decisions favoured us for once.
The previous one was the home game against Shrewsbury (3-0), also 2011/12, which was his first return to Roots Hall for a League game since he mishandled the match against Gillingham over six years ago. He had returned since for a JPT match, against the same opposition 2010/11, and that went much better; generally JPT games are lower key.
The Shrewsbury game was undoubtedly another one of his better ones with a couple of penalties going our way and just three yellows shaded by the Shrews.
This is his eleventh season as a League referee. He has refereed 15 of our home matches. His first three games went pretty much okay. They were the JPT defeat on pens by Dagenham, the 2-1 win against Hartlepool (who had Sam Collins sent off in that match) and,in 2008/9, the 2-1 home win against Swindon.
The fourth one was also 2008/9 against Bristol Rovers when he declined to send off the opposing goalkeeper for a handball outside the area. Notwithstanding that decision, it wasn't the best of performances from Mr Ward.
The fifth home match was the one referred to earlier, the Gillingham home game 2009/10 with an astonishingly inept display producing 9 yellow cards.
Since then he also took charge of our away win at Leyton Orient in the same year, booking Scannell and acouple of theirs.
He was an absolutely first class linesman/assistant referee. Lined in numerous Premiership matches and some full internationals. He had been looking to replicate that success in the middle and therefore will probably be disappointed that he has been deservedly overtaken in the pecking order by several younger officials (even if they don't look younger). His card count is a little on the high side with 150 yellows and 6 reds from 41 matches last season. The majority of his appointments were League Two last season as they are again this, a good indication he's going no further up the refereeing ladder. Some referees actually improve when they get to that stage no longer feeling the need to get noticed!
This season has brought 48 yellows and 1 red from 14 matches.
Assistants are Graham Kane, a citizen (repeated for those who missed it previously) from Ditchling, near Brighton. and Matthew Lee from Chichester. Fourth Official is Lee Venamore, an insurance manager from Maidstone.
The man in charge of Saturday's match needs little introduction; he is Gavin Ward from Oxted in Surrey, whose many Southend games over the years can best be described as variable with a little more bad than good.
This will be the second season running that he has had the privilege of refereeing Southend v Bury, last season's fixture bringing the curtain down, disappointingly, on that season.
He's already done a Southend game this season (two, if you count the Brighton pre-season friendly), taking charge at Charlton last month. It was a curate's egg of a game from him with a spell late in the second half when he seemed barely in control. Four yellows in that match, Kightly and McGlashan.
We had him twice last season, once very early, once very late. That 1-0 win against Bury was in vain and I felt it was a bit of a "homer" performance from him. Two yellows for us (Amos and Robinson) and 4 for them. The early season match was back in August for the 1-1 home draw with Bristol Rovers when he showed yellows to McLaughlin, Cox and King (no, I don't remember him doing anything to warrant a booking or indeed anything at all) and two of theirs.
Prior to that we were spared him for a year and a half with his previous Southend match being the home goalless stalemate with Dagenham at the end of 2014. A red card for Bolger and 3 yellows to the visitors and he didn't excel. This was preceded by the defeat against Walsall in the League Cup, same season, when he wasn't really very good either, failing to dismiss an opposing player for a blatant DOGSO and displaying a lot of inconsistency and randomness in his 6 cautions (Prosser, Atkinson & Coker for our three).
Before that his four most recent Southend matches were definitely some of his better ones, taking charge of the entertaining home 0-0 with Port Vale early 2012/13 with 1 caution to us (Tomlin) and 2 to them. Later that same season he refereed a home win against Oxford. This time three cautions (Clohessy, Timlin and Corr) for us and one for them. Then more recently when we crashed out of the JPT in 2013/14 at home to Dagenham (3 yellows for us, 2 and a red for them) followed by later the same year, the 3-2 home defeat by Exeter in the match featuring Jason Williams' turn of speed and sleight of hand. Just one yellow for Freddie.
Before those, his last match, or should I say half a match, was the ill-fated fixture at Aldershot on Boxing Day 2011/12, when, in the eyes of some, he became a good referee because his bad decisions favoured us for once.
The previous one was the home game against Shrewsbury (3-0), also 2011/12, which was his first return to Roots Hall for a League game since he mishandled the match against Gillingham over six years ago. He had returned since for a JPT match, against the same opposition 2010/11, and that went much better; generally JPT games are lower key.
The Shrewsbury game was undoubtedly another one of his better ones with a couple of penalties going our way and just three yellows shaded by the Shrews.
This is his eleventh season as a League referee. He has refereed 15 of our home matches. His first three games went pretty much okay. They were the JPT defeat on pens by Dagenham, the 2-1 win against Hartlepool (who had Sam Collins sent off in that match) and,in 2008/9, the 2-1 home win against Swindon.
The fourth one was also 2008/9 against Bristol Rovers when he declined to send off the opposing goalkeeper for a handball outside the area. Notwithstanding that decision, it wasn't the best of performances from Mr Ward.
The fifth home match was the one referred to earlier, the Gillingham home game 2009/10 with an astonishingly inept display producing 9 yellow cards.
Since then he also took charge of our away win at Leyton Orient in the same year, booking Scannell and acouple of theirs.
He was an absolutely first class linesman/assistant referee. Lined in numerous Premiership matches and some full internationals. He had been looking to replicate that success in the middle and therefore will probably be disappointed that he has been deservedly overtaken in the pecking order by several younger officials (even if they don't look younger). His card count is a little on the high side with 150 yellows and 6 reds from 41 matches last season. The majority of his appointments were League Two last season as they are again this, a good indication he's going no further up the refereeing ladder. Some referees actually improve when they get to that stage no longer feeling the need to get noticed!
This season has brought 48 yellows and 1 red from 14 matches.
Assistants are Graham Kane, a citizen (repeated for those who missed it previously) from Ditchling, near Brighton. and Matthew Lee from Chichester. Fourth Official is Lee Venamore, an insurance manager from Maidstone.
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