It's a new referee for QPR this Saturday as Sam Barrott, fast tracked onto the Premier League list this season, takes charge of our relegation six-pointer at Rotherham.

Referee >>> Sam Barrott (West Riding), aged just 30 he was promoted onto the Premier League list this season after four years in the EFL.

Assistants >>> Jonathan Hunt (Merseyside) and Matthew Smith

Fourth Official >>> Ben Toner (Lancashire)

History

First ever QPR appointment.

Stats

Barrott is a former Halifax Town junior who took up refereeing when serious injury ruined his hopes of a playing career at 15. He has shown 39 yellows (3.9) and two reds in ten games so far this season, and that includes his first three games as a Premier League referee which began with Fulham 3-1 Sheff Utd at the start of October and has since seen him do Forest 2-2 Luton and Bournemouth 2-1 Burnley. It also includes Rotherham’s 2-1 win at home to Norwich in September.

That’s a pretty meteoric rise for the fast tracked official who only joined the EFL list in 2020/21, a season spent entirely in Leagues One and Two with 86 yellows and four reds in 32 games. In 21/22 he did a hefty 144 yellows and three reds in 37 games across the bottom two divisions before stepping up with four Championship games among his 40 appointments (118 yellows, four reds) in 22/23 – Rotherham 1-3 Bristol City. From there, with just the four Championship games under his belt, they’ve elevated him onto the elite list for this year, although he started with six straight appointments in our league and then Ipswich 3-2 Wolves in the League Cup.

This is, needless to say, his first QPR game.

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Pictures — Ian Randall Photography

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