John Brooks from Leicestershire is in charge of QPR and Sheff Wed for the first time this evening as the two teams clash at Loftus Road.
Referee >>> John Brooks (Leicestershire)
Assistants >>> Robert Hyde (Essex) and Sam Lewis
Fourth Official >>> James Linington (Isle of Wight)
First QPR appointment.
Brooks stepped onto the Football League list for the first time in 2016/17, refereeing 36 games in Leagues One and Two and a smattering in the Football League Trophy. He showed 150 yellows (4.166) and ten reds across those games, topped out by eight yellows and a red in Millwall’s hilarious 3-2 home defeat by Rochdale in the third tier.
His first Championship game came last year amidst a hefty workload of 51 appearances. He took Reading’s home defeat by Burton two days before Christmas and added three more games at this level before the end of the campaign (Sunderland 0-2 Brentford, Ipswich 0-0 Sheff Utd, Norwich 2-1 Leeds). He booked 149 (2.9) and sent six off in total, with nine yellows and a red at Bristol Rovers 2-1 Walsall his top haul.
So far this season eight of his 11 games have been in the Championship, including his last five. He’s shown 45 yellows (4.09) and three reds across those matches with two of the reds coming in his last three games at Birmingham 2-2 Ipswich and Boro 0-2 Forest. Eight yellow cards at Bolton 2-2 Bristol City is his highest total so far. This is his first appointment with either QPR or Sheff Wed.
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Pictures — Action Images