Paul Howard, promoted out of non-league for the 2020/21 season, referees his first QPR game as the R’s go to Cambridge in the League Cup on Tuesday.

Referee >>> Paul Howard (London)

Assistants >>> Andy Bennett (Surrey) and Andrew Aylott (Bedfordshire)

Fourth Official >>> Robert Massey-Ellis (Coventry), married to fellow EFL referee Sian Massey-Ellis.

History

First ever QPR game.

Stats

Paul Howard stepped out of the Conference into the EFL for the 2020/21 season and has been doing League One and Two games since then.

He showed 95 yellows (3.27) and five reds in his first season of 29 appointments, including Cambridge’s 2-2 draw at home to Fleetwood and 2-0 loss to Charlton. In 2022/23 he did 24 games with a skinny 58 yellows (2.41) and three reds. Cambridge drew 1-1 with Morecambe in his only game with them. Last season he did a full year of 39 games with 143 yellows (3.66) and four reds, led by nine yellows at Cheltenham 2-0 Shrewsbury in League One. Cambridge lost 1-0 at home to Derby under this official right at the end of the campaign, meaning they’ve had four home games with him so far without winning.

On opening day this season Thomas was down in the South West for Exeter’s 1-0 home win against freshly relegated Rotherham. Three yellows and no reds in that.

Thomas works as an operational improvement manager at TFL, “interrogating data and identifying trends in order to focus on improving structures and processes within the trains and service control teams on London Underground.” So now you know.

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