Dean referees Chelsea game

Elite list official Mike Dean is in charge for our big FA Cup trip to Chelsea this Saturday.

Chelsea v QPR FA Cup 3rd Round
Referee – Mike Dean (Wirral)
Assistants – Flynn and Proctor-Green
Fourth Official – Williamson

It comes as no surprise that we have a Premiership referee for our visit to Stamford Bridge – Mike Dean from Merseyside is our man, the first time he’s refereed QPR for just over a year. Dean has been in pretty poor form so far this season with games being allowed to leave his control and cards handed out far too frequently. Hopefully a new year’s resolution to be more tolerant and competent will have taken hold by the time we do battle with Chelsea on Saturday.

So far this season Dean has been somewhat extravagant with his cards – 85 yellows (4.4 a match) and six reds in just 19 games is a very high average and doesn’t bode well. His most prolific outings came in the Reading v Chelsea game (nine yellows one red) Hartlepool and Doncaster (seven yellows and one red) Boro and Newcastle (nine yellows) and Blackburn v Man City (six yellows two reds). Overall last season he booked 173 (four a game on average) and sent off 16 in 43 games.These are some pretty amazing figures and not what people want to see when they go to a football game, hopefully he’ll remain calm during this game.

That ten card haul, and 2-1 away win, at Reading was his last Chelsea appointment. His last QPR match was Deember 2006 when we were beaten 3-0 at Crystal Palace and he booked two.

M Dean 8 - Nothing to referee really but allowed the game to flow, used the cards sensibly and didn't get too much wrong. Certainly one of his better displays of late. LFW Palace Match Report

Elsewhere this third round day Rob Styles has West Ham v Man City – good luck to both sides with that idiot. As if Cambridge’s task at Wolves wasn’t hard enough they Kevin Friend and his tendency to give everything to the home side and enjoy an easy ride. Lee Probert has Blackburn v Coventry, Uriah Rennie has Everton v Oldham.

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