Referee tomorrow is one of the Waltons

Last updated : 08 March 2002 By Tony Scholes

This is a referee who is quite keen to get his cards out, particularly red ones, and this season so far he has issued 90 yellow cards and a staggering then red cards in just 30 games. As is always the case more of these have been given to away team players than home players and with Walton it is 35 and 55.

It is the red cards that are worrying and in just his fourth season it has come out of his pocket on no less than 29 occasions and that includes one on his only visit to the Turf.

This season though the following players have all seen red with this referee: Guiliano Grazioli (Swindon - v Peterborough home), Menno Willems (Grimsby - v Portsmouth away), Barry Ashby (Gillingham – v Wolves home), Mark Cartwright (Shrewsbury – v Lincoln home), Karl Munroe (Macclesfield – v Southend away), Kristian O'Leary (Swansea – v Hartlepool home), Danny Murphy (QPR – v Bournemouth away), Stuart Garden (Notts County – v Chesterfield away), Ali Benarbia (Man City – v Millwall home) and Stephen Foster (Bristol Rovers – v Luton away).

That list includes two goalkeepers so either Nik or Marlon will have to tread carefully tomorrow. Walton is one of the referees that hits the headlines quite often because of his decisions.

The Clarets have only seen him once and that was in his first season on the list, 1998/99. He took charge of our home game against Luton on 6th February 1999 in a game we lost 2-1 after going in front through Micky Mellon.

In this game Walton showed yellow cards to four Clarets in Graham Branch, Micky Mellon, Steve Davis and Neil Moore and to Luton's Ray McKinnon. Then after a harmless looking tackle he waved a second yellow card at Moore who was sent off.

So we have been warned tomorrow, he is due a red card having now gone three games without one.