Probert at the Palace

Last updated : 23 August 2006 By Tony Scholes
He was branded with the name of Card Man of Gloucester during last season and he's been at it already this time out with no fewer than seventeen yellow and two red cards already in this his fourth season as a Football League referee.

Taking in the games at the end of last season that sees him having sent off no fewer than six players in his last nine games, including the two this season, Millwall's Tony Craig after just four minutes of their 2-0 defeat at Leyton Orient, and Scott McGleish in Northampton's 1-0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest.

Millwall appealed against Craig's sending off and had the suspension quashed, Northampton weren't so lucky and their appeal failed although the club expressed their disgust at the decision when video evidence showed there had been no offence.

Probert's first Burnley game was at Plymouth two seasons ago and he had something of a nightmare, that was the day he booked players for not retreating ten yards, then paced it out to find they were about fifteen yards away.

He wasn't quite so bad in his two Burnley games last season, at Leicester and at home to Crewe, but he's very much an official who worries me and just hope that he has a quiet game at Palace.

The assistant referees at Selhurst Park will be Chris Francis (Cambridgeshire) and Stephen Tomlinson (Hampshire) whilst the fourth official will be Tony Mason (Kent).

Previous Burnley games:

Season

Opps

V

Res

Y

R

Burnley players carded

a

2005/06

Crewe

h

3-0

2

0

Duff

2005/06

Leicester

a

1-0

3

0

Hyde Sinclair

2004/05

Plymouth

a

0-1

5

0

Branch Grant McGreal