Another first timer this week

Last updated : 26 November 2004 By Tony Scholes

Last week it was Keith Wright and tomorrow Tyne & Wear referee Eddie Ilderton will be in charge of his first Burnley game in his third season as a Football League referee.

He’s certainly no yellow card fanatic and in his first two seasons he handed out an average of just over two and a half per game and this season so far it is even less.


He’s refereed fifteen games so far this season and those games have brought just twenty-five yellow cards and a solitary red card for Scarborough goalkeeper Leigh Walker who was sent off in the last minute of their 4-1 LDV Vans Trophy defeat at Rochdale.

Nine of the yellow cards have gone the way of the home players with the other sixteen to away team players and his five bookings in the Derby v Watford game is the most from him this season.

He has refereed Dennis Wise’s Millwall before, at Wigan last season, and appeared to take no nonsense from them booking four of their players including the player/manager.

Tomorrow he will be assisted by George Simpson (North Yorkshire) and Keith Wilkinson (Tyne and Wear).