Ref Watch: Peterborough United v Leicester City

The man in charge of the npower Championship match between Peterborough United and Leicester City is Graham Scott.

Oxfordshire based referee Graham Scott is well known for dishing out the yellow cards. He averages three cards per game and has already dished out 74 yellow cards in his 26 matches that he`s refereed.

Posh will have very good memories of the last time Scott refereed them as they ran out 7-1 winners over Ipswich Town last season. That match saw four yellow cards and two red cards. Tommy Smith and Lee Martin were the players sent off for the visitors in front of the Sky Sports TV cameras. Lee Tomlin and Lee Frecklington were the two Posh players to receive yellow cards.

Leicester also last had Scott referee them last season. He refereed two of their matches and they won both of them. They beat Brighton 1-0 at home early in the season but it was a bad tempered affair as eight players receiving yellow cards while Marcos Painter received two yellow cards for the visitors. The Foxes won their other game that season with Scott refereeing as they beat Blackpool 2-0.

Scott last took charge of a Championship match on the Saturday before Christmas when Crystal Palace and Huddersfield fought out a 1-1 draw. Three yellow cards were shown on that occasion with one player from each side receiving their marching orders!

His last match was on Thursday 24th January when he took charge of AFC Wimbledons 2-2 draw with Port Vale. Three yellow cards were shown with two of them going to the visitors.

Scott hadn`t planned a refereeing career but after sustaining a back injury while playing in the Hellenic League, he decided to go on the refereeing course as he felt all referees were rubbish! Despite an early lack of ambition he soon shot up the Leagues and is keen to pass on useful tips and information to up and coming referees.

He believes the first five minutes of every match are the most important as they set out the tone for the rest of the game.

"The kick-off is an opportunity for you to exert your authority. Make all players start in their own half and not just those in the centre circle. Check the wings, players these days have a tendency to line up like American football with several players together and they have a habit of creeping forward before the kick is taken. Shout at keepers to check that they are ready, it will give you a chance to use your voice so that the players hear it and get used to it.

"You want to be where the ball is likely to drop of course [for the first goal kick] but where is that going to be? Look at the positioning of the keeper`s forwards; that will give you some idea of his kicking abilities. Don`t slip off too wide; go where they can see you, that alone will cut out a lot of the pushing into the backs of opponents.

"At the first sign of pushing or holding [at the first corner] that is so prevalent today, stop the kick and talk to the players concerned. Take up a position so you can see the maximum of players but close enough so they can hear you." In local football Scott suggested that it might be best to be close to the goal line but not on it."

At the first free kick, "make sure you know where the ball is, and don`t let them kick it away. If they do, it may warrant a yellow card but even if it doesn`t, manage it by speaking to the player. Ensure the players retire the distance."

Scott doesn`t allow quick free kicks if he had reached the spot where the kick should be taken. "Let all the players know it is only to be taken on the whistle.

"The first verbal challenge is probably the most important. Don`t ignore it, you have a whole range of tools in your armoury to deal with it," Scott said, "starting with a quiet response and walking away and give them three goes before you call them out. However, if they go public with their challenge, then so should you. There is always one or two in a team that start and if they get away with it, the others will join in."

Peterborough United v Leicester City
Location: London Road
Date: 9th February, 2013
Kick-off: 3:00pm

Referee

Graham Scott

Assistants
Jake Hillier
Barry Holderness

Fourth official
Tim Robinson

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