For the third time this season Preston North End will have Steve Martin as the match official, when we face Blackburn Rovers at Deepdale on Saturday.
The match official was the referee for our opening day game down at Millwall and the 1-0 victory over Birmingham City last month.
Steve also had whistle for the Millwall away game last season as well, when Alex Neil’s men came out 3-1 winners, back in February at The Den.
That was one of the match official’s three games officiating both North End in 2018/19, the others being PNE’s wins at Nottingham Forest and at home to Ipswich Town – his last visit to PR1 back in April, when we ran out 4-0 winners.
Since coming onto the EFL lists back in 2012/13, the Staffordshire referee has officiated 14 North End games, at least one a season for all the years he has been on the league groupings.
His first game was a goalless draw against Leyton Orient back in March 2013, whilst other memorable games include our 3-0 win at Havant & Waterlooville in the FA Cup in 2014, a 3-0 home win over Cardiff City in 2016 and a 3-1 win at Oldham’s Boundary Park in 2014.
He has taken charge of 11 games so far this season, including our games with the Lions and Blues, issuing just 24 cautions in those game, five of which came in that game between North End and Neil Harris’ men back at the beginning of August, but none at St Andrews.
The other members of the third team involved in Saturday’s game are assistants Matthew McGrath and James Mainwaring and fourth official Ross Joyce.