Sam Barrott, fast tracked onto the Premier League list this season, takes charge of our Saturday trip to Bristol City.

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 >>> Mark Stevens (Bedfordshire) and Blake Antrobus (Manchester)

Fourth Official >>> Gary Parsons (Lymington)

History

Rotherham 1 QPR 1, Saturday November 4, 2023, Championship

“All of that is a product of us being unable to take our chances when they’re presented to us, and that’s going to be Cifuentes’ biggest hurdle to clear as he moulds the team to his principles and desires. Ilias Chair’s one match ban for five yellow cards, the final one of which was for stupidly kicking the ball away in the first half, will not help in next week’s game against Bristol City.”

Rotherham: Johansson 7; Lembikisa 6, Morrison 5 (Ayala 87, -), Odoffin 6, Bramall 6; Cafu 6, Tiehi 5, Rathbone 6; Onyedinma 7 (Eaves 87, -), Hugill 6 (Nombe 71, 5), Clucas 5 (Kelly 61, 7)

Subs not used: Phillips, Revan, Appiah, McGuckin

Goals: Kelly 70 (assisted Bramall)

Bookings: Bramall 21 (foul), Clucas 37 (foul)

QPR: Begovic 5; Cannon 6 (Kakay 90, -), Dunne 5, Cook 6, Paal 6; Field 5, Dixon-Bonner 7, Smyth 5 (Richards 63, 4); Willock 6 (Armstrong 80, -), Dykes 4 (Adomah 80, - (Kelman 90, -)), Chair 7

Subs not used: Archer, Larkeche, Duke-McKenna, Drewe

Goals: Chair 50 (assisted Paal)

Bookings: Chair 19 (kicking ball away)

Referee – Sam Barrott (West Riding) 7 Rotherham seemed bitterly unhappy but I thought he was very decent. Some slight, niggling inconsistency with the Chair booking (which was correct, however petty) not then being followed up with cards for players, say, running off with the ball up their shirt and dropping it 20 yards away so QPR can’t take a quick free kick. Seven minutes added to the end felt very skinny given the goals, injuries, substitutions, and a prolonged faff about with their communication system. But these are minor first world problems, compared to some of the Championship officiating we’ve seen this season this guy was a dream.

Stats

Barrott is a former Halifax Town junior who took up refereeing when serious injury ruined his hopes of a playing career at 15.

They’re working him hard this season – 29 appointments already including 12 in the top flight in his first Premier League season. He has shown 93 yellows (3.2) and three reds so far. His two Bristol City games in amongst that have not gone well for the Robins. They lost 2-0 at home to Birmingham in August and had Rob Dickie sent off, and have subsequently also lost 2-0 at Preston in January with this official.

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. From there, with just the four Championship games under his belt, they’ve elevated him onto the elite list for this year.

Bristol City are 2-0-2 from four appointments.

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Pictures — Ian Randall Photography

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