Woolmer has had a busy week

Last updated : 30 December 2005 By Tony Scholes

So there was no surprise when I checked to find that it was Northampton referee Andy Woolmer who was earmarked for our very next home game against Sheffield Wednesday.

Three Ipswich players received yellow cards and manager Joe Royle said after the game, “Although the game was never malicious, I had little argument with the decisions of the referee, although I thought we were on the wrong end of some of them.”

Iain Dowie had a different view after seeing his side collect six yellow cards and two red cards for Jonathan Macken for an alleged elbow and Ben Watson for two yellows. Dowie said, “My New Year’s resolution is not to let wins be marred by the displays. I am going to look at the video but if that is a nine booking game and two sendings off then I am a Dutchman.”

Woolmer has followed that up with another controversial night at Huddersfield when he awarded Port Vale a penalty and sent off David Mirfin for a professional foul. The only problem was that the incident didn’t take place in the penalty box and in any case Mirfin played the ball.

In 22 games this season he has already handed out 82 yellow cards and 9 red cards. Until the last month or so he’d been handing out more of those yellow cards to the home players but that’s been reversed recently with 21 of his last 27 cards going to away players. Over the season he has yellow carded 39 home players and 43 away players. Four of the red cards have gone to home players and five to away players.

This is his second season on the Football League list and tomorrow will be the first time he’s refereed a Burnley game, whilst he’s taken charge of one Sheffield Wednesday game previously, their 3-2 home win against Blackpool last season in League One.

The assistant referees will be Andy Haines (Tyne & Wear) and David Richardson (Yorkshire), four official duties will be the responsibility of Gary Hilton (Lancashire).