It's some time since Attwell was a Select Group Official. He was axed after a controversial run including some games where he seemed to attract attention to himself with some ridiculous decisions. We all know about the phantom goal at Watford, his starting a game during a minute's applause for Sir Bobby Robson, an amazing game between Derby and Forest where he got so much wrong it is difficult to catalogue and being accused of lying by Roberto Martinez, then at Wigan.
He was just 25 when he refereed in the Premier League for the first time and this after just one year in the Football League. He was even added to the international list in 2009 but an amazing straight red card for Gary Cahill, playing for Bolton at Spurs, was the final straw and a month later he was axed.
At the time, Mike Riley said he hoped to welcome him back to the select group in the future. He's not there yet but does get Premier League games again; he's refereed three Premier League games this season in his total of twenty games.
One of those games outside the Premier League was our game at Forest when he sent off Henri Lansbury. At the time of the incident I wondered what on earth he'd done, but when I saw it again it was clear he'd got it absolutely right.
He's one of three players that Attwell has sent off this season, indeed the last, and in his twenty games he's also shown 64 yellow cards with 32 of them to both home and away team players.
Stuart Attwell's last game was the Premier League fixture between Crystal Palace and Newcastle two weeks ago. Palace won the game 5-1 but they were level on cards with one yellow each, Palace's Wilfried Zaha and Chancel Mbemba of Newcastle.
Previously he's been ok in Burnley games and hopefully that will still be the case this time tomorrow.
The assistant referees are Matthew Buonassisi (Northamptonshire) and Lee Venamore (Kent). The fourth official is Football League referee Simon Hooper (Wiltshire) who refereed our recent home draw against Brighton.
Previous Burnley Games
| Season | Opponents | V | Res | Y | R | Burnley Players Carded |
| 2009/10 | MANCHESTER CITY | a | 3-3 | 4 | 0 | n Bikey, Mears, Carlisle |
| 2009/10 | ASTON VILLA | a | 2-5 | 3 | 0 | n Carlisle, Fletcher, Nimani |
| 2010/11 | PORTSMOUTH | a | 2-1 | 2 | 0 | n Cork, Duff |
| 2011/12 | PORTSMOUTH | a | 5-1 | 6 | 0 | n Grant, Marney, Austin |
| 2012/13 | MILLWALL | a | 2-0 | 2 | 0 | n Vokes, Ings |
| 2012/13 | CARDIFF | h | 1-1 | 3 | 0 | n Trippier, Marney |
| 2013/14 | SHEFFIELD WED | h | 1-1 | 5 | 0 | n Marney |
| 2013/14 | WATFORD | a | 1-1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015/16 | NOTT'M FOREST | a | 1-1 | 5 | 0 | n Keane, Mee |