A quick return for Mason

He refereed the last Premier League game between the two clubs at Anfield back in September 2009. On that occasion, when we lost 4-0, he yellow carded Stephen Jordan and Chris Eagles but none of the home team.

I thought, maybe, I shouldn't mention the Preston game in 2007 given that it is now over seven years ago, but the truth is the mere mention of Lee Mason's name cannot pass by without reference to that nightmare game he had.

He was better in the same fixture in the following season but not that much better when a t least, this time, the contentious decisions went our way.

But in truth, besides allowing the game at Blackpool, six years ago yesterday, to go ahead despite the gale force winds, there haven't been too many problems with him and at Sunderland it was certainly our doing and not his that we came home with nothing.

He's refereed just two Football League games this season, the others all being in the Premier League or involving Premier League clubs in the cup competitions. They have totalled 22 games in which there have been 75 yellow cards and five red cards.

Of the yellows, 36 have gone to home team players and 39 to away team players but West Brom's Claudio Yacob is the only away player he's sent off this season.

His last game was Newcastle's 1-0 home win against Aston Villa last Saturday. He yellow carded six players in that game who were Mike Williamson of Newcastle and Villa's Alan Hutton, Matt Lowton, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ciaran Clark and Tom Cleverley.

Lee Mason is currently 14th of 18 in RATE THE REF with a rating of 61.36 out of 100.

The assistant referees are Darren England (South Yorkshire) and R West (East Riding). The fourth official is Roger East (Wiltshire) whose only Burnley game this season was the FA Cup tie against Spurs at home.

Previous Burnley Games