LUFC Controversial ref in charge of Bristol clash

Stuart Atwell will be the man in charge when Leeds United travel to Bristol City this weekend.

The Warwickshire official has never been far away from the headlines since breaking onto the National list at the start of the 2007/08 season at just 25.

In his first season, he showed nine red cards in his 32 games and he finished the season by taking charge of the League Two play-off final.

Atwell was fast tracked into the Premier League the following season, 2008/09, but after a controversial decision in the game between Watford and Reading in September, he was demoted back to the Football League for two months.

He somehow awarded a goal to Reading despite the ball behind two yards outside the post of the goal, much to the astonishment of everyone in the ground.

Just a few weeks after returning to the Premier League, he was once again the centre of attention in the East Midlands derby between Derby County and Nottingham Forest. He showed eight yellow cards and a red to Lewis McGugan in the game and he incensed the Derby manager Paul Jewell when he disallowed two Derby goals in the closing minutes.

His performance once again saw him saw him rested for the following week.

In that season, he showed 94 yellow cards and 8 reds in just 30 games.

Last season he continued to make all the wrong headlines and he was criticised heavily for separate incidents that season at Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

He allowed a Liverpool goal in the game with Sunderland when he deemed that the Sunderland player had played the ball at a free kick.

In the game at Tottenham, he sent off Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill when he showed him a straight red card for what he deemed a professional foul. Cahill fouled Spurs midfielder Scott Parker close to the halfway line but Attwell deemed that Cahill had denied Parker a clear goalscoring chance.

Cahill won his appeal against the sending off and after negotiations with the Premier League; Attwell was once again demoted to the Football League.

Last season he took charge of 32 games, showing 102 yellow cards and 6 reds.

So far this season he has taken charge of 7 games, showing 20 yellow cards and 1 red.

His first game in charge of Leeds came in the 2008/09 season, when the whites won 1-0 at Wycombe Wanderers.

The only other time he has taken charge of Leeds was in March when they drew 0-0 at Hull City.

Referee: Stuart Atwell (Warwickshire)
Assistants: Wayne Barratt & Gary Evatts
Fourth Official: Kevin Johnson




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