Atkinson again

Last updated : 18 March 2005 By Tony Scholes

Atkinson is only in his second season on the Football League list but is being fast tracked in much the same way as Mark Clattenburg and Howard Webb and has already taken charge of two Premiership clashes.

He certainly didn’t look as though he should have been getting any special treatment after turning in a less than impressive performance at Crewe where, like many other referees before him, he was taken in by Crewe’s reputation and allowed them to get away with far too much.

Atkinson is though very good at handling emergency situations well and praised was heaped on him by Crewe for his handling of the situation when the lights went out. Mind you he did have his fourth official stood in the dark holding up the electronic board for at least three minutes.

He’s refereed a couple more games since and that has now taken his total of cards this season to 66 yellow and 3 red from 27 games, 31 of those yellow cards to home team players and the other 35 to away team players.

There’ll be plenty of interest tomorrow with the assistant referees, certainly one in particular who would never have been able to take the old name of linesman. It is Amy Rayner from Leicestershire who I believe will be the first woman to officiate at a Burnley game. On the other side of the pitch will be Gary Stott from Greater Manchester.

Previous Burnley games:

Season

Opps

V

Res

Y

R

Burnley players carded

a

2004/05

Crewe

a

1-1

1

0

Whittingham