Probert gets Clarets game at Old Trafford

Last updated : 15 January 2010 By Tony Scholes
His last Burnley game was our 3-1 defeat at Cardiff last season, but despite having refereed in the Premier League since the 2006/07 season this will be his first Manchester United game.

Probert's early Burnley games were very concerning but the more recent ones have been much better, although I don't consider him to be anywhere near one of the best referees right now.

This season he's refereed 17 games in total in which he's handed out 56 yellow cards and two red cards. Those red cards came at the end of a game between Everton and Aston Villa. Everton's Diniyar Bilyaletdinov was sent off with three minutes to go and Carlos Cuellar, the Villa defender, followed in stoppage time. Both managers spoke out about his performance after the game.

Of those 56 yellow cards it is no surprise to see that just 19 have gone to home players and 37 to away players, and that following a rush of home bookings recently. No doubt with Probert the away players are always more likely to be punished, but going to Old Trafford that's probably the case no matter who the referee is despite what the home manager might think.

The assistant referees are David Richardson and Bobby Madley (both West Yorkshire). As for the fourth official, it will be an opportunity for Sir Alex Ferguson to keep a check on the fitness of Alan Wiley.

Previous Burnley games:

Season

Opps

V

Res

Y

R

Burnley players carded

a

2004/05

Plymouth

a

0-1

5

0

Branch Grant McGreal

2005/06

Leicester

a

1-0

3

0

Hyde Sinclair

2005/06

Crewe

h

3-0

2

0

Duff

2006/07

Crystal Palace

a

2-2

1

0

Hyde

2007/08

Barnsley

a

1-1

2

0

Caldwell

2008/09

Birmingham

h

1-1

3

0

Carlisle Thompson

2008/09

Cardiff

a

1-3

5

0

Carlisle Elliott Kalvenes Williams