Mick
Life President
We are way behind Charlton in head-to-head matches in all competitions having won only 10 to their 27, with 11 draws. This will be our first FA Cup meeting although we have lost to them in both the League Cup and the JP Trophy.
Man in charge will be the familiar figure of 53 year old, Darren Drysdale from Lincolnshire. A sergeant in the RAF, on the human resources side, he began refereeing in 1988, officiating in the Northern Alliance and Northern Premier League, became an assistant referee for the Football League in 1996, and in 1997 progressed to being a Conference North referee. In 1998 he was appointed as an assistant referee for the Premier League, and two years later was given the honour of being an assistant referee to Graham Poll in the 2000 FA Cup Final, he also became a FIFA assistant referee in the same year. In 2002, he became a UEFA assistant referee, one of only three from the UK at the time. He was appointed to the Football League List of referees in 2004.
He attracted some media attention in 2007 after Bradford City's Dean Windass received a five-match ban for swearing at him in the car park after a home game against Brentford. He dropped from the list a couple of years later and is now in his second spell as a League referee. Apparently, he used to drive a top of the range Bentley with personalised number plates.
He made the headlines a bit later for a better reason when he assisted a player who had swallowed his tongue in the match at Morecambe.
However his real headlining came four years ago when he was given a retrospective four-match suspension after he was found guilty of improper conduct when he “snarled” into the face of a player who had verbally abused him. The first match he missed was when he was taken off of our game against Bolton pending the inquiry and subsequent charge.
He has refereed Southend 15 times in his 18 years, the most recent being a behind closed doors away fixture at Exter at the end of 2020/21. Goalless with a caution for Louis Walsh and two of theirs. In fact the last few of those games have mostly gone okay, the notable exception being the 2019/20 match at Wycombe when we contrived to get no points from a match we were winning 3-2 in the 89th minute. Just two yellows in that match – Nathan Bishop and Lennon. Also that season we, not unexpectedly, lost 3-1 at Doncaster with the match’s only yellow going to Milligan. In between those two, he did the match at Burton. A 1-1 draw and a red card for O’Toole, yellows for Demetriou, McLaughlin and Dieng. Before that Wycombe match came the 2018/19 Checkatrade at Luton which we drew 1-1. A caution for Yearwood and 3 of theirs. There were two matches the season before - the win at Walsall when he booked four of theirs and the game's only goalscorer, Cox and then the Boxing Day 3-1 win over Charlton when he booked Oxley, Coker, Leonard and Ranger but not our double goalscorer Cox. He also booked two of theirs including their sub, Lennon. This was the only time we’ve beaten Charlton in the last dozen meetings.
Before that was the disappointing home defeat against Chesterfield in 2015/16. A yellow for Coker and 2 of theirs. Phil Brown "slammed" the referee for a penalty decision. Others, including Adam Barrett, slammed Phil Brown for his tactics.
The one before that was far from his best. It was the 2014/15 home draw with Bury when he cautioned Prosser, Worrall, Payne and Binnon-Williams along with 3 of theirs.
Prior to that, the most recent match was 2013/14's Friday night 3-0 victory over Mansfield which also turned into a bit of a cardfest with a red for Clifford and two reds and three yellows for them. A difficult match to referee and he did what he had to do reasonably well.
Previously it was the unforgettable Cup replay at Brentford, when he (and Paul Smith) did rather well. One caution for Prosser. He rushed to congratulate Smith at the final whistle.
Before that it was the 3-2 away win at Bristol Rovers in 2012/13 when any criticism would have centred on a slightly soft penalty. He sent off one of theirs and booked Tomlin and Phillips. Before that he brought the curtain down on the season before with the home play-off match against Crewe which, of course, we drew 2-2. Four cautions - one for us (Grant) and 3 for them, including a controversial one for simulation.
Previously, it was a 3-2 home defeat by Coventry in 2006/7 (2 yellows apiece; Maher & Guttridge) and the 2-1 win at Port Vale the following season when Macca got the winner (we shaded the yellows 3-2; Clarke, Bailey and Macca).
This season, his 9 games have produced 31 yellows and no reds as yet. The only one of those games to be cardless was, incredibly, Wimbledon v MK Dons.
Assisting will be Tranmere Rovers supporter and ex-semipro player for Newtown (in the Welsh League), Anthony Da Costa, now from Cambridge and Michael Chard, a Consulting Analyst from London. Jack Willmore from Clacton-on-Sea is Fourth Official and it will be his 7th time at Roots Hall in that role.
Man in charge will be the familiar figure of 53 year old, Darren Drysdale from Lincolnshire. A sergeant in the RAF, on the human resources side, he began refereeing in 1988, officiating in the Northern Alliance and Northern Premier League, became an assistant referee for the Football League in 1996, and in 1997 progressed to being a Conference North referee. In 1998 he was appointed as an assistant referee for the Premier League, and two years later was given the honour of being an assistant referee to Graham Poll in the 2000 FA Cup Final, he also became a FIFA assistant referee in the same year. In 2002, he became a UEFA assistant referee, one of only three from the UK at the time. He was appointed to the Football League List of referees in 2004.
He attracted some media attention in 2007 after Bradford City's Dean Windass received a five-match ban for swearing at him in the car park after a home game against Brentford. He dropped from the list a couple of years later and is now in his second spell as a League referee. Apparently, he used to drive a top of the range Bentley with personalised number plates.
He made the headlines a bit later for a better reason when he assisted a player who had swallowed his tongue in the match at Morecambe.
However his real headlining came four years ago when he was given a retrospective four-match suspension after he was found guilty of improper conduct when he “snarled” into the face of a player who had verbally abused him. The first match he missed was when he was taken off of our game against Bolton pending the inquiry and subsequent charge.
He has refereed Southend 15 times in his 18 years, the most recent being a behind closed doors away fixture at Exter at the end of 2020/21. Goalless with a caution for Louis Walsh and two of theirs. In fact the last few of those games have mostly gone okay, the notable exception being the 2019/20 match at Wycombe when we contrived to get no points from a match we were winning 3-2 in the 89th minute. Just two yellows in that match – Nathan Bishop and Lennon. Also that season we, not unexpectedly, lost 3-1 at Doncaster with the match’s only yellow going to Milligan. In between those two, he did the match at Burton. A 1-1 draw and a red card for O’Toole, yellows for Demetriou, McLaughlin and Dieng. Before that Wycombe match came the 2018/19 Checkatrade at Luton which we drew 1-1. A caution for Yearwood and 3 of theirs. There were two matches the season before - the win at Walsall when he booked four of theirs and the game's only goalscorer, Cox and then the Boxing Day 3-1 win over Charlton when he booked Oxley, Coker, Leonard and Ranger but not our double goalscorer Cox. He also booked two of theirs including their sub, Lennon. This was the only time we’ve beaten Charlton in the last dozen meetings.
Before that was the disappointing home defeat against Chesterfield in 2015/16. A yellow for Coker and 2 of theirs. Phil Brown "slammed" the referee for a penalty decision. Others, including Adam Barrett, slammed Phil Brown for his tactics.
The one before that was far from his best. It was the 2014/15 home draw with Bury when he cautioned Prosser, Worrall, Payne and Binnon-Williams along with 3 of theirs.
Prior to that, the most recent match was 2013/14's Friday night 3-0 victory over Mansfield which also turned into a bit of a cardfest with a red for Clifford and two reds and three yellows for them. A difficult match to referee and he did what he had to do reasonably well.
Previously it was the unforgettable Cup replay at Brentford, when he (and Paul Smith) did rather well. One caution for Prosser. He rushed to congratulate Smith at the final whistle.
Before that it was the 3-2 away win at Bristol Rovers in 2012/13 when any criticism would have centred on a slightly soft penalty. He sent off one of theirs and booked Tomlin and Phillips. Before that he brought the curtain down on the season before with the home play-off match against Crewe which, of course, we drew 2-2. Four cautions - one for us (Grant) and 3 for them, including a controversial one for simulation.
Previously, it was a 3-2 home defeat by Coventry in 2006/7 (2 yellows apiece; Maher & Guttridge) and the 2-1 win at Port Vale the following season when Macca got the winner (we shaded the yellows 3-2; Clarke, Bailey and Macca).
This season, his 9 games have produced 31 yellows and no reds as yet. The only one of those games to be cardless was, incredibly, Wimbledon v MK Dons.
Assisting will be Tranmere Rovers supporter and ex-semipro player for Newtown (in the Welsh League), Anthony Da Costa, now from Cambridge and Michael Chard, a Consulting Analyst from London. Jack Willmore from Clacton-on-Sea is Fourth Official and it will be his 7th time at Roots Hall in that role.