North End welcome match official Steve Martin to Deepdale for the first time this season at the weekend.
It is his second game in charge of the Lilywhites this campaign, having been the match official for the away game at Wolves back in October.
Last season he took charge of three North End games, having been the match official of our home win over Cardiff City in September 2016, our away win at Norwich City in October and the 1-1 home draw with Ipswich Town in January 2017.
The 3-0 win over the Bluebirds was his first clash at Deepdale since the EFL Cup second round victory over Watford in 2015/16, when Marnick Vermijl’s goal won the tie for the Lilywhites.
He also officiated PNE in March 2013 when we drew 0-0 with Leyton Orient. He has, however, refereed North End twice since then on the road – red cards being produced in both encounters.
He sent off Oldham Athletic’s Johnson Clarke-Harris when the Lilywhites beat the Latics 3-1 at Boundary Park in March 2014. And he was also the man in the middle when PNE made the long journey to Havant & Waterlooville in the FA Cup in 2014/15, sending off two Havant players in the live televised match as PNE swept their non-league opponents aside 3-0 thanks to Callum Robinson’s hat-trick.
This weekend his team will see Steven Meredith and Mark Dwyer as the two assistants, with Robert Jones the fourth official.