For our first game after the international break we have a match official who will be taking charge of his second North End game of the season, Darren England.
The referee for the clash at Craven Cottage is in his first year on the Select Group Two list and was the match official for our game at Middlesbrough in August – that was second time he had taken charge of a Preston North End game, all away from Deepdale.
His first game was the final match of the 2016/17 season, and it was his first Championship game, in the fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.
Last year, in total, he took charge of charge of 42 games, including the one in the Black Country, issuing 121 cautions and nine red cards in those fixtures and was chosen to referee the League Two Play-Off Final involving Blackpool at Wembley.
So far this season, he has officiated in ten games, including ours in the north east, and has issued 34 cautions and one red card, his last game being Brentford’s 3-0 win at Bolton Wanderers’ Mascron Stadium on 23rd September.
This Saturday he will be assisted by Matt Foley and James Mainwaring and the fourth official will be another from the Select Group Two list, Simon Hooper.