First Burnley game for referee Collins

Last updated : 23 October 2012 By Tony Scholes

Collins joined the Football League list for the 2011/12 season and has refereed almost exclusively in the lower divisions. The only exception to this was last season's game between our opponents tonight Bristol City and Crystal Palace last February.

I think Bristol City manager Derek McInnes will be hoping he has a quieter night this time. In that game he yellow carded a total of nine players, including seven from Bristol City.

It ensured he didn't get another game at our level last season although it was, by some distance, his heaviest game in terms of cards in 2011/12. Last season, in 25 games, there were 81 yellow cards and six red cards.

This season he's refereed eight games. There have been 23 yellow cards and just one red card, that of Luke Wilkinson of Dagenham & Redbridge in their 3-1 defeat at Southend. Of those 23 yellow cards, surprisingly, 15 of them have gone to home team players and eight to away team players.

He's had another big day, eight yellows in the game between Swindon and Coventry, but last time out, last Saturday, he refereed Gillingham's 4-1 home win against Burton. There were three players yellow carded; Jack Payne and Bradley Dack of Gillingham and Burton's Robbie Weir.

The assistant referees are Darren Blunden (Kent) and Lee Swabey (Devon). The fourth official is Mark Pottage (Dorset).