Back after a year

Last updated : 18 November 2005 By Tony Scholes

He had a quiet afternoon but we’ve had one or two problems with Messias over the past few years, and none more so than when he last refereed a Burnley game which was at Watford early this season.

Incredibly that day he allowed play to go on with Brian Jensen down on the ground and looking seriously injured and as we had to continue with no goalkeeper the home side scored the crucial third goal that won the game for them. Even after the goal was scored, and as physio Andy Mitchell came running on, Messias totally ignored the situation and walked past without even a glance on his way back to the middle.

A week before that game at Watford he’d sent two Swansea players off in their 3-1 defeat at Huddersfield but these remain his only two red cards this season although he’s been fairly busy with the yellow cards and has reached 36 in just 10 games.

He’s calmed down somewhat since the early part of the season with 18 of those yellow cards, along with the two red cards, coming in his first three games of the season which means he’s handed out just 18 yellows in the last 7 games. From that total of 36 yellow cards, 16 of them have gone to home players and 20 to away players.

Apart from an eight card haul in the home win against Wolves in 2002 there have not really been any problems when he’s refereed on the Turf, they seem to have been reserved for away games with fixtures at Carrow Road and Maine Road easily recalled alongside this season’s game at Watford.

He will be assisted by Andy Halliday and Gary Kellett (both Yorkshire) and fourth official will be Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire) who is enjoying his first season as a Football League referee.

Previous Burnley games:

Season

Opps

V

Res

Y

R

Burnley players carded

a

2005/06

Watford

a

1-3

5

0

Akinbiyi Hyde

2004/05

Nott'm Forest

h

1-0

1

0

Duffy

2002/03

Wolves

h

2-1

8

0

Cox Grant West

2001/02

Watford

a

2-1

4

0

Gnohere Grant

2001/02

KKMC

a

1-5

2

0

Papadopoulos

2000/01

Norwich

a

3-2

6

0

Armstrong Ball Little Smith Taylor

1999/2000

Gillingham

h

0-3

0

0

.

1997/98

Northampton

h

2-1

0

0

.