Mick
Life President
Checkatrade - where reputation matters
If it mattered that much surely they wouldn't be sponsoring this wretched competition.
The referee for tomorrow's match is the very experienced Andy Woolmer from Northampton. This short referee with even shorter hair had the capacity to be slightly officious but he is usually reasonably steady - a safe pair of hands.
Aged 50, he was a postman by profession until he became a full-time referee as part of Select Group 2 a few months ago. Are we going to see a first class performance with him stamping his authority and not delivering too many cards? Hopefully.
He is in his 13th year as a League referee and has refereed Southend on very many occasions.
He officiated at Roots Hall twice last season, firstly presiding over our home defeat to Swindon with two cautions each (Timlin and Coker). His most recent visit was last season's JPT match against Bristol Rovers when a rare John White goal, combined with a slightly controversially (but correctly) ruled out goal, clinched a 1-0 victory. Plenty of yellows in this one (Barrett, Atkinson, Pigott and Payne and a couple of theirs).
Before that it was the season before's inevitable home defeat by Morecambe, one-nil to an early goal. Caution for Deegan and two of theirs.
Then it was the 2013/14 Friday home match against Fleetwood which we won 2-0 thanks in part to a generous penalty. Leonard and Phillips were the game's only cautions and he did fine (not just for the penalty!)
Then it was that very memorable evening a while back when we qualified for Wembley with a 2-2 draw against Orient. A good performance by him in a highly charged match. Cautions for Phillips and Prosser and three of theirs.
Prior to that was the first match of 2013 at home to Gillingham. He cautioned just one of theirs in the 1-0 defeat and the biggest criticism seemed to be not enough stoppage time. The previous two were 2011/12; firstly our comfortable win at Barnet (7 yellows and one of theirs sent off) and then the 1-0 home win against Crewe when Mohsni scored the only goal (Kalala and a couple of theirs were cautioned). Before that Wycombe at home the year before that when he wasn't too bad. Prior to that it was the same season when we lost 0-2 to Crewe. He wasn't great; nor were we.
His first visit to Roots Hall however is somewhat more memorable as it was the Boston match when he sent off Darryl and heralded the appearance of Tes the Cat (...... his name is Tes the Cat, he plays for Montserrat).
His card count this season is very much the right side of average with 29 from 12 games. Not a single red so far.
The two assistants are Dan Robathan from Dorking and Rob Hyde from East London. Chris Pollard from Stowmarket, whose father was a linesman at the 1999 League Cup Final at Wembley, will be Fourth Official.
If it mattered that much surely they wouldn't be sponsoring this wretched competition.
The referee for tomorrow's match is the very experienced Andy Woolmer from Northampton. This short referee with even shorter hair had the capacity to be slightly officious but he is usually reasonably steady - a safe pair of hands.
Aged 50, he was a postman by profession until he became a full-time referee as part of Select Group 2 a few months ago. Are we going to see a first class performance with him stamping his authority and not delivering too many cards? Hopefully.
He is in his 13th year as a League referee and has refereed Southend on very many occasions.
He officiated at Roots Hall twice last season, firstly presiding over our home defeat to Swindon with two cautions each (Timlin and Coker). His most recent visit was last season's JPT match against Bristol Rovers when a rare John White goal, combined with a slightly controversially (but correctly) ruled out goal, clinched a 1-0 victory. Plenty of yellows in this one (Barrett, Atkinson, Pigott and Payne and a couple of theirs).
Before that it was the season before's inevitable home defeat by Morecambe, one-nil to an early goal. Caution for Deegan and two of theirs.
Then it was the 2013/14 Friday home match against Fleetwood which we won 2-0 thanks in part to a generous penalty. Leonard and Phillips were the game's only cautions and he did fine (not just for the penalty!)
Then it was that very memorable evening a while back when we qualified for Wembley with a 2-2 draw against Orient. A good performance by him in a highly charged match. Cautions for Phillips and Prosser and three of theirs.
Prior to that was the first match of 2013 at home to Gillingham. He cautioned just one of theirs in the 1-0 defeat and the biggest criticism seemed to be not enough stoppage time. The previous two were 2011/12; firstly our comfortable win at Barnet (7 yellows and one of theirs sent off) and then the 1-0 home win against Crewe when Mohsni scored the only goal (Kalala and a couple of theirs were cautioned). Before that Wycombe at home the year before that when he wasn't too bad. Prior to that it was the same season when we lost 0-2 to Crewe. He wasn't great; nor were we.
His first visit to Roots Hall however is somewhat more memorable as it was the Boston match when he sent off Darryl and heralded the appearance of Tes the Cat (...... his name is Tes the Cat, he plays for Montserrat).
His card count this season is very much the right side of average with 29 from 12 games. Not a single red so far.
The two assistants are Dan Robathan from Dorking and Rob Hyde from East London. Chris Pollard from Stowmarket, whose father was a linesman at the 1999 League Cup Final at Wembley, will be Fourth Official.
