For the second time this week QPR have been handed a referee for the very first time in his career for their forthcoming match - James Linington will travel up from the Isle of Wight to take charge of Rangers v Nottingham Forest.
QPR v Nottingham Forest
Referee – James Linington (Isle of Wight)
Assistants – Rock (Hertfordshire) and Rowley (Berkshire)
Fourth Official – Kinseley (Essex)
Once you have got over the fact that our match official this Saturday had a sailing involved in his trip to the game check out the names of his assistants – Gareth Ainsworth might be a decent bet for a goal from the bench.
There really is little else to say as referee James Linington has only been on the list for a season, and this is just his second Championship match. He is yet to take charge of either QPR or Nottingham Forest before. Last season he showed 58 yellows (2.9 a game average) and three reds in 20 matches – that included one fixture in this league, a three nil home success for Watford against Burnley. His busiest afternoon came in a match between Brentford and Darlington when six were booked – then a week later he booked four and sent another off as Bournemouth beat Chester 1-0.
So far this season he has done three games – one in each of the two divisions below us and League Cup. He has shown three yellows and no reds in those matches and was in charge of Wycombe 1 Southend 1 on Tuesday night.
Linington was released from professional football aged 15 due to a lack of strength and has worked his way through refereeing ever since. He has previously run the line in the League One play off final between Swansea and Barnsley at the Millennium Stadium.
Elsewhere this weekend Andy Hall has his first Championship appointment (he draws ever closer!) with Sheff Wed’s home match with Scunthorpe set to be massacred. Premiership referee Steve Tanner is down with us again, taking West Brom v Ipswich which is the live Saturday evening fixture. Keviin friend has Cardiff v Bristol City on Sunday.
Looking further ahead it is yet another first time at Loftus Road for the match official on Tuesday as Chris Pawson takes charge of our home match with Accrington in the League Cup.
Photograph courtesy of refworld.com.