Clive Oliver is back for his second QPR appointment of the season, hopefully we'll see a repeat of his previous performance if not the result.

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Queens Park Rangers
Referee – Clive Oliver (Northumberland)
Assistants – Cooke (Nottinghamshire) and Dunn (Staffordshire)
Fourth Official – Gibbs (West Midlands)

Before we get to our match at Wolves there’s a couple of things that have caught my eye in the refereeing world since our victory over Scunthorpe.

Firstly, the behaviour of Ashley Cole towards Mike Riley in the Tottenham v Chelsea game on Wednesday night. For those that haven’t seen it the incident begins with Cole lunging in wildly on Alan Hutton and catching him just below the knee with his studs up. It was a red card tackle, nowhere near the ball, high, late and dangerous. It was, as always with Chelsea, quickly proceeded by a fight around the injured player and Drogba and Terry chasing the referee down the pitch to make sure their oh so important view points were heard before the decision was made.

Then Cole started, and not since Violet Elizabeth have I seen a hissy fit like it. So certain was Cole that this potentially career threatening lunge on a promising young player was actually absolutely fine that he refused to let Mike Riley speak to him and instead ranted at the match official for 30 seconds. Once he’d paused for breath rather than listen to Riley he demanded the yellow card be raised immediately so he could get back to the really important act of trying to look like a Premiership left back. When Riley tried to have a say Cole turned his back, refused to listen and just pointed to his name and number.

Now for me the tackle was a red card offence but Riley only booked him for that. Either way why not give him a second yellow for his childish reaction? It was certainly dissent of the highest order. A great chance to make the right decision and send out a good message missed by Mike Riley. Not often I stick up for that guy because he is, and was on the night, absolutely useless but Cole’s behaviour was reprehensible. I’d like to think that useless fat slug parading round in the Chelsea technical area may have had a word with Cole afterwards, though I suspect he’s still to busy trying to locate a personality up his own arsehole for that. Practice defending set pieces in training do you Avram? Thought not.

Secondly, Rob Styles at Watford last week. Dear God is there a more arrogant man on the planet than that incompetent oaf? Another five yellow cards in the Watford v Stoke game, another sending off that should never have been, another penalty decision plucked from thin air, just how much longer can this fraud continue to parade around as a referee in professional football? He certainly shouldn’t be given any more Football League games this year – he’s only been out of the Premiership five times and in those games he has booked 24 players and shown six red cards. What kind of moron shows six reds in five matches for goodness sake? I sadly doubt Rob Styles will realise we’re there to watch the players and not him before he retires. My prayers are with Northampton and Nottingham Forest – his sixth non-Premiership game of the season, scheduled for this Friday lunch time. As if things couldn’t get worse at that match Trevor Kettle, who probably has a picture of Styles on his bedroom wall, is the fourth official. See what spread bets you can get on cards for that one.

After all of that we have a fairly low key appointment for our trip to Wolves. Clive Oliver was the man in charge for our heartbreaking late defeat at Blackpool back in December and while we'll be hoping for no repeat of the scoreline I wouldn't say no to a performance of a similar standard from the man in the middle. With the cards staying in his pocket and the advantage rule used whenever possible I was very impressed with Mr Oliver on the day. A rating of seven, good enough for sixth on the referee league.

Referee: Clive Oliver (Northumberland) 7 - Blackpool seemed to be very unhappy with him for most of the match but I didn't think he was too bad at all. I notice in an interview in Blackpool's superb, if a little pricey, programme that he describes himself as an injured ex player looking to stay in the game and you can tell. Haven't seen the advantage rule used so well or so often for some time - great to see. LFW Blackpool Match Report

Oliver has shown 72 yellows (2.57 a match) and one red in 28 matches this season. The lack of red cards is very encouraging and long may that continue on Saturday. Last season he showed 82 yellows (2.21 a game) and three reds in 37 matches which again is encouragingly low. That included a Wolves game, a 1-0 win at Burnley in August 2006, but no QPR fixtures. His last QPR game prior to the Blackpool one was a 2-0 defeat at Burnley at the back end of the 2004/05 season. Again few cards and even fewer free kicks in that one, but the young QPR team on the evening could have done with a bit more protection to be honest - Burnley kicked us off the park with both Shabazz baidoo and Pat Kanyuka suffering nasty injuries.

This is his second Wolves appointment of the season as well, he was the man in the middle for their 3-1 defeat at Sheff Utd back in September when two players were booked and United were awarded a late penalty.

Elsewhere, as if the appointment of Styles to another non-Premiership match isn’t ridiculous enough how about Uriah Rennie doing the Preston v Burnley derby game? Busy week of paper work at Football League headquarters ahead then.

Finally, congratulations to Phil Joslin for getting the Johnstone’s Paint Final next week – thoroughly deserved. Seriously.

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