Mick
Life President
The referee for tomorrow's cut price game is Darren Sheldrake from Kingston in Surrey who is in his fifth year as a Football League referee.
He has the opportunity to atone for a woeful and inconsistent display earlier this season away at Wycombe when he cautioned Prosser and White and 3 home players in a match we could, and should, have won.
He came into that match on the back of not one, but two, controversial performances in the previous week. He sent off Burnley's goalkeeper at Brighton for the most ridiculous of second yellow cards you could hope to see and a few days later he was in charge at Yeovil when he allowed Yeovil to take a quick throw and score when everyone had stopped for the trainer to come on and tend an injury. He also attracted a lot of criticism for showing 11 yellows in his opening match of the season, a match which both managers said was far from dirty. Things have presumably improved for him as they are still giving him matches.
His refereeing career has progressed quickly making the National List just 12 years after taking up the whistle at the age of 14. His progress has been steady without any suggestion of any great potential and he has been given a few Championship matches over the last couple of seasons, although none lately.
He has refereed Southend seven times before. Firstly the dull 0-0 at home to Exeter four seasons back (just the one caution for Scannell).
Then he refereed the home match against Lincoln which we won 1-0 the following season (cautions for Mohsni and Timlin and a couple of theirs). Then, the season before last, he was a late replacement for the JPT home defeat by Swindon when he cautioned Gilbert and 3 of theirs. Just before the Swindon match he did the East Thurrock Macclesfield FA Cup tie when a bad error probably cost the nonleague side the tie.
The fourth match was last season's very disappointing home defeat thanks to a very early and a very late goal from Aldershot. He cautioned just two of theirs. Then came the match which was probably his and our easiest of the lot - the Boxing day win at Dagenham with a solitary caution for one of theirs. Then our impressive 2-1 win at Port Vale when he cautioned 4 of theirs and Lund for us and finally that Wycombe match.
Not a referee I've got a lot of time for. He can be inconsistent and prone to over-reaction and also, at times, a bit quick with his cards. His 12 matches thus far this season have produced a well above average 51 yellows and 2 reds.
He last refereed York at Salisbury in his promotion year 5 years ago.
Assistants are Michael George (I think I've got that the right way round) from North Walsham, Norfolk and Gavin Muge from Bedford. Fourth Official is Football League referee, Carl Berry from Cheam.
He has the opportunity to atone for a woeful and inconsistent display earlier this season away at Wycombe when he cautioned Prosser and White and 3 home players in a match we could, and should, have won.
He came into that match on the back of not one, but two, controversial performances in the previous week. He sent off Burnley's goalkeeper at Brighton for the most ridiculous of second yellow cards you could hope to see and a few days later he was in charge at Yeovil when he allowed Yeovil to take a quick throw and score when everyone had stopped for the trainer to come on and tend an injury. He also attracted a lot of criticism for showing 11 yellows in his opening match of the season, a match which both managers said was far from dirty. Things have presumably improved for him as they are still giving him matches.
His refereeing career has progressed quickly making the National List just 12 years after taking up the whistle at the age of 14. His progress has been steady without any suggestion of any great potential and he has been given a few Championship matches over the last couple of seasons, although none lately.
He has refereed Southend seven times before. Firstly the dull 0-0 at home to Exeter four seasons back (just the one caution for Scannell).
Then he refereed the home match against Lincoln which we won 1-0 the following season (cautions for Mohsni and Timlin and a couple of theirs). Then, the season before last, he was a late replacement for the JPT home defeat by Swindon when he cautioned Gilbert and 3 of theirs. Just before the Swindon match he did the East Thurrock Macclesfield FA Cup tie when a bad error probably cost the nonleague side the tie.
The fourth match was last season's very disappointing home defeat thanks to a very early and a very late goal from Aldershot. He cautioned just two of theirs. Then came the match which was probably his and our easiest of the lot - the Boxing day win at Dagenham with a solitary caution for one of theirs. Then our impressive 2-1 win at Port Vale when he cautioned 4 of theirs and Lund for us and finally that Wycombe match.
Not a referee I've got a lot of time for. He can be inconsistent and prone to over-reaction and also, at times, a bit quick with his cards. His 12 matches thus far this season have produced a well above average 51 yellows and 2 reds.
He last refereed York at Salisbury in his promotion year 5 years ago.
Assistants are Michael George (I think I've got that the right way round) from North Walsham, Norfolk and Gavin Muge from Bedford. Fourth Official is Football League referee, Carl Berry from Cheam.
