Miller back on duty

Last updated : 26 January 2005 By Tony Scholes

There are very few referees capable of turning in such a disgraceful performance and I do always find it incredible when just about every bad decision goes the same way.

Tonight we get a Premiership referee in Phil Dowd from Stoke-on-Trent, a much better referee, although he let us down somewhat on the last occasion he took charge of a Burnley match.

That was the home game against West Ham last season when he firstly awarded the visitors a dubious penalty before turning down a blatant one for the Clarets.

He also courted controversy three year’s ago on the opening day of the season when he allowed the Clarets to retake a penalty at Sheffield Wednesday, Paul Cook being allowed to make it 2-0.


However, Dowd is a good referee and goes out onto the field with the intention of allowing the players to get on with the game, just what we want after Saturday.

So far this season he has taken charge of eleven fixtures, six of those in the Premiership and three in the Championship. His red card has remained in his pocket and there have been twenty-six yellow cards. Ten of those cards have gone to home players and sixteen to away players.

His highest number of cards in a game this season is four and our opponents tonight, Leeds, will know all about that. He booked four of their players in their 2-0 defeat at Sheffield United back in August.

He will be assisted tonight by Rob Martin (South Yorkshire) and James Tattan (Merseyside).

Previous Burnley games:

Season

Opps

V

Res

Y

R

Burnley players carded

a

2003/04

West Ham

h

1-1

5

0

Blake Branch West

2002/03

Watford

h

4-7

2

0

McGregor

2002/03

Fulham

h

3-0

2

1

I Moore

2001/02

Sheff Wed

a

2-0

5

0

A Moore, Briscoe, West, Weller

2000/01

Gillingham

a

0-0

1

0

Branch

2000/01

Grimsby

h

1-1

1

0

.

1998/99

Lincoln

h

1-1

5

1

Ford Reid