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He'd refereed the Championship game between Plymouth and QPR on Boxing Day and in all fairness it hadn't gone well. Bratt had gone home with a lot of homework to do, filling in his reports, after he'd yellow carded no fewer than nine players and sent off QPR's Mikele Leigertwood at the final whistle.
QPR boss Luigi de Canio claimed he was offended by Bratt's performance, but loan player Bob Malcolm, who'd had a nightmare against Sylvan Ebanks-Blake took things a step further. He was found fast asleep by police parked up in the fast lane of the M1 and over the legal alcohol limit. Malcolm pointed the finger at Bratt, claiming he'd been very upset at his performance.
He was back at Derby by then, and they suspended him. Since then he's received a 20 month ban from driving and found his contract terminated leaving him looking for a new club. All we can ask is that Owen Coyle gives all his players a lift home tomorrow should there be any controversy with this referee.
Back to Bratt, and his ten card haul at Home Park has thankfully been a one off. The only other red card to add to that of Leigertwood is former Burnley youth player Neal Trotman. That was playing for Oldham at Doncaster in November. Neal received a second yellow card six minutes from the end but Oldham still won the game 2-1.
Both red cards for away players, and now to the yellow cards. In 22 games he's handed out 77 yellow cards with 30 of those going to home team players and 47 to away team players.
I've not seen Steve Bratt referee, and this will be just his fourth Championship game, I just hope there are no motorway pile ups on Sunday.
He will be assisted by Graeme Atkins (West Yorkshire) and Darren Handley (Lancashire) with Gary Beswick (Co. Durham) on duty as the fourth official.