Taking charge of his second North End game of the season this weekend will be Wiltshire official Simon Hooper.
His first game, was at Deepdale, back in November, for the televised goalless draw with Phil Parkinson’s Bolton Wanderers.
Last season he took charge of PNE three times. Those games were against Fulham on Gentry Day in March, for the League Cup victory over AFC Bournemouth back in September and the league win at Bristol City in December 2016.
The two games the previous season that he took charge of were also long distance games, the 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town and our 3-0 win at Charlton Athletic back in October 2015.
The match official, who made his first ever trip up to Deepdale from his Wiltshire base for the clash with Walsall in January 2015, is an experienced referee and is now in his tenth season on the EFL list and he has taken charge of PNE in games at Crawley, Southampton and a previous trip to AFC Bournemouth as well.
So far this season he has taken charge of 29 games, issuing 92 cautions and three red cards and this will also be his second Bees game of the season, having refereed their 3-2 defeat at Hull City in December.
The assistants on Saturday afternoon will be Daniel Robathan and Robert Hide, whilst Tim Robinson will be in the fourth official role.