Mick
Life President
Man in charge on Tuesday night is Keith Hill from Hertfordshire. He was the FA's Regional Referees Manager for the East of England. Does that mean he is a top official? I'm afraid not.
He has been refereeing since he was fourteen. Promoted to the National List of Assistant referees in 1994 and served for a further three seasons as a SG assistant referee before being promoted to the Referees List in 1998. His career appointments include refereeing a semi-final of the FA Trophy, and being appointed as 4th Official on the 2002 Game of Unity in Kabul.
He is in his 13th season (unlucky 13 for supporters) and is, in my opinion, way past his best (which wasn't very good anyway). I'm sure his previous position has much to do with his extended run on the list as better officials seem to have been culled during this time. I do sometimes wonder if he benefits from positive discrimination.
This will be his 18th League and Cup match in charge of Southend and his 15th home game. By and large, we have done quite well with him in charge winning far more than losing. His matches have generally been littered with pickiness, inconsistency and plenty of cards, some justified.
He last visit to Roots Hall was 1-0 home defeat (penalty) by Oldham last season. Before that the rearranged match against Scunthorpe; and just previous to that a couple of weeks earlier when he called off the same match seconds before the scheduled kick off.
He also did Yeovil away that season.
"Highlights" of his Southend matches: the home defeat by Kingstonian in the Cup (Roget off), home win over Darlington (Searle off), the more recent away defeat at Palace (one of his more ok games) and the ever so forgetable 0-0 draw at Oxford in the Cup.
His card count is very high; 22 matches have produced 85 yellows and four reds.
This is a man who has not been able to control a football match without showing a card for nearly 4 years !! Over that same period Grant Hegley has had over 40 cardless matches.
Assistants are regular visitors Ian Cooper from Kent and Tim Robinson from West Sussex with the diminutive Matt McLaughlin from Bedford holding the numbers board as aloft as he is able.
He has been refereeing since he was fourteen. Promoted to the National List of Assistant referees in 1994 and served for a further three seasons as a SG assistant referee before being promoted to the Referees List in 1998. His career appointments include refereeing a semi-final of the FA Trophy, and being appointed as 4th Official on the 2002 Game of Unity in Kabul.
He is in his 13th season (unlucky 13 for supporters) and is, in my opinion, way past his best (which wasn't very good anyway). I'm sure his previous position has much to do with his extended run on the list as better officials seem to have been culled during this time. I do sometimes wonder if he benefits from positive discrimination.
This will be his 18th League and Cup match in charge of Southend and his 15th home game. By and large, we have done quite well with him in charge winning far more than losing. His matches have generally been littered with pickiness, inconsistency and plenty of cards, some justified.
He last visit to Roots Hall was 1-0 home defeat (penalty) by Oldham last season. Before that the rearranged match against Scunthorpe; and just previous to that a couple of weeks earlier when he called off the same match seconds before the scheduled kick off.
He also did Yeovil away that season.
"Highlights" of his Southend matches: the home defeat by Kingstonian in the Cup (Roget off), home win over Darlington (Searle off), the more recent away defeat at Palace (one of his more ok games) and the ever so forgetable 0-0 draw at Oxford in the Cup.
His card count is very high; 22 matches have produced 85 yellows and four reds.
This is a man who has not been able to control a football match without showing a card for nearly 4 years !! Over that same period Grant Hegley has had over 40 cardless matches.
Assistants are regular visitors Ian Cooper from Kent and Tim Robinson from West Sussex with the diminutive Matt McLaughlin from Bedford holding the numbers board as aloft as he is able.
