RateTheRef

Fri 22nd Aug 2025
Derby County FC (First Team) v Bristol City (First Team)      Live on SkySports
Football League Championship
Referee: Webb, David
Assistant Referee: Smith, Matthew
Assistant Referee: Singh Gill, Bhupinder
Fourth Official: Ward, Gavin

Sat 23rd Aug 2025
Birmingham City F C (First Team) v Oxford United (First Team)
Football League Championship    
Referee: Jones, Robert
Assistant Referee: Betts, Lee
Assistant Referee: Greenhalgh, Nick
Fourth Official: Kennard-Kettle, Zac     

Charlton Athletic FC (First Team) v Leicester City FC (First Team)       Live on SkySports
Football League Championship    
Referee: Whitestone, Dean
Assistant Referee: Karaivanov, Hristo
Assistant Referee: James, Alex
Fourth Official: Russell, Matthew

Coventry City FC (First Team) v Queens Park Rangers FC (First Team)
Football League Championship    
Referee: Herczeg, Adam
Assistant Referee: Lugg, Nigel
Assistant Referee: Fitch-Jackson, Carl
Fourth Official: Ward, Gavin

Hull City (First Team) v Blackburn Rovers FC (First Team)      Live on SkySports+
Football League Championship    
Referee: Nield, Tom
Assistant Referee: Dallison, Andrew
Assistant Referee: Harrison, David
Fourth Official: Corlett, Matt

Norwich City FC (First Team) v MIDDLESBROUGH (First Team)
Football League Championship    
Referee: Doughty, Leigh
Assistant Referee: Woodward, Richard
Assistant Referee: Venamore, Lee
Fourth Official: Young, Alan

Preston North End FC (First Team) v Ipswich Town F.C. (First Team)
Football League Championship    
Referee: Donohue, Matthew
Assistant Referee: Fox, Andrew
Assistant Referee: Graham, Jacob
Fourth Official: Baines, Dale

Sheffield United FC (First Team) v Millwall FC (First Team)
Football League Championship    
Referee: Busby, John
Assistant Referee: Kane, Graham
Assistant Referee: Williams, Darren
Fourth Official: Joyce, Ross

Southampton FC (First Team) v Stoke City FC (First Team)
Football League Championship    
Referee: Smith, Josh
Assistant Referee: Howson, Akil
Assistant Referee: Russell, Mark
Fourth Official: Hicks, Craig

Swansea City FC (First Team) v Watford FC (First Team)      Live on SkySports+
Football League Championship    
Referee: Martin, Stephen
Assistant Referee: Carney, Emily
Assistant Referee: Gough, Callum
Fourth Official: Eley, Richard

West Bromwich Albion FC (First Team) v Portsmouth FC (First Team)
Football League Championship    
Referee: Bell, Elliot
Assistant Referee: Lewis, Sam
Assistant Referee: Cooper, Ian
Fourth Official: Bourne, Declan

Wrexham FC (First Team) v Sheffield Wednesday FC (First Team)
Football League Championship    
Referee: Hallam, Farai
Assistant Referee: Nelson, Alistair
Assistant Referee: Wilson, James
Fourth Official: Mather, Simon

Kettle Junior mixing in with the cream of English officialdom.

Decent game for Macho Man in Wales.

Anthony Backhouse was another who seemed to be on a rapid rise to the PL a couple of seasons ago and picked up brilliant appointments but injuries seemed to put that on hold.

Middlesbrough are seeing almost as much of Richard Woodward as Leigh Doughty is. 

Second time in 3 weeks as AR1 at a Boro game.  Fourth consecutive match as Doughty's AR1.  I know it's common in SG1 to have the same team of officials sticking together (and usually the ref and both ARs, not just one) but I can't see many other regular partnerships lower down.

Gavin Ward will need to be in two places at once !

Anyone know what’s happened to Will Finnie ?

Good spot.  Derby is Friday night.

Really disappointed as a Watford fan to see Stephen Martin appointed to our game. Nothing against him as a referee, but he oversaw our first match of the season at Charlton.

Are there really so few SG2 officials and are the powers that be really so unimaginative that we have had a repeated appointment already in the space of the first 3 fixtures. I mean come on!

I think the only possible reason could be due to SG1 Injuries, causing SG2 Officials to be more involved in PL Matches, causing fewer officials to be available. However, that could just be coincidental. It happens a lot, it is most likely coincidental and not done on purpose, if you get what I mean. Middlesborough have had Richard Woodward 2/3 games this season, Burnley had Andrew Kitchen a host of times last season. Darren Bond seems to only ever get Fulham and Leicester games. It is all coincidental!

For a referee to be appointed to the same team twice in three games like Steve Martin has is basically just lazy appointing as there are plenty of other permutations that could have been used to prevent it…alas no change from those in charge.

Saw Elliot Bell at West Brom today. No issues from me as my team got out of there with a well earned point - but don't think he's quite ready for regular Championship appointments just yet.

Ryan Mason sent off and general loss of control towards the final stages, so much so that I wouldn't disagree with any Baggies fans who feel we were lucky to finish with 10 men and should've had a penalty kick awarded against us.