Refwatch: Middlesborough

[Far Canal]

Reading v Middlesbrough Saturday, 05 March 2011 15:00

Referee Neil Swarbrick

Assistant 1 Lee Betts
Assistant 2 Paul Rees
4th Official David Rock



48 year old Neil Swarbrick from Preston, Lancs started refereeing somewhat later than most National List officials being twenty nine. Making rapid progress he reached the National List of assistant referees in only six years, spending four years at this level before being promoted to the referees’ list.

Neil once had the pleasure of the then Leicester City manager Ian Holloway showing him a replay of a Barry Hayle goal that he had disallowed on his lap-top computer after the match.
Holloway said: "I was disappointed the referee disallowed that goal. I didn't think it was offside and I took the lap-top in to show him."

Mr Swarbrick scores an average of 3.27 stars on rate your ref

http://rateyourref.co.uk/referee/Neil-Swarbrick

Career Stats:

Season........Games......Yellow cards......Red cards
2010/11.........29...............81................5
2009/10.........35..............104................8
2008/09.........36...............82................4
2007/08.........40...............78................8
2006/07.........34...............96................9
2005/06.........29...............57................2

Averages for last three seasons: Yellow Cards: 2.67 per game; Red Cards: 0.17 per game

Reading FC record (Oh Dear):

Championship Sa 03 Oct 2009 Reading 0 - 2 Middlesbro
Bookings
Reading: Karacan.
Championship Sa 28Feb 2009 Reading 0 - 1 Nottm Forest
Bookings
Reading: Pearce.
Nottm Forest: Earnshaw, Morgan.


Neil Swarbrick and Derby's Gary Teale decide to kiss and make up

[SpaceCruiser]

104 yellows in 35 games?!? That's a bit high, isn't it?!?

Great, we have a card happy ref tomorrow.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Reading FC record (Oh Dear):

Championship Sa 03 Oct 2009 Reading 0 - 2 Middlesbro
Bookings
Reading: Karacan.
Championship Sa 28Feb 2009 Reading 0 - 1 Nottm Forest
Bookings
Reading: Pearce.
Nottm Forest: Earnshaw, Morgan.

As I recall Reading were bloody awful in both those games (esp. the last one v Middlesbrough) so perhaps the ref wasn't to blame...!

[Ian Royal]

104 yellows in 35 games?!? That's a bit high, isn't it?!?

Great, we have a card happy ref tomorrow.

2 and a half cards a game average isn't exactly card happy Spacey. Even that season is only 3 cards a game and at the other end of the spectrum he averaged just under 2 a game a few years back.

[JoeyJoeJoeJnrShabadoo]

4th Official David Rock "Lobster"

[JC]

if it were not for the fact that we have had so many poor referees I would be saying he is the worst we have had this year. Seemed to get so many relatively simple decisions wrong. The penalty looked like a joke from where I was sitting.

[AthleticoSpizz]

if it were not for the fact that we have had so many poor referees I would be saying he is the worst we have had this year. Seemed to get so many relatively simple decisions wrong. The penalty looked like a joke from where I was sitting.

yet, not from mine


6 out of 10......did not play the advantage rule as he should've

[bcubed]

if it were not for the fact that we have had so many poor referees I would be saying he is the worst we have had this year. Seemed to get so many relatively simple decisions wrong. The penalty looked like a joke from where I was sitting.

yet, not from mine


6 out of 10......did not play the advantage rule as he should've

maybe the worst refereeing crime going

[SpaceCruiser]

Fascinating, how many yellow cards did he give out?!?

[Elmer Park]

Like everyone I can always find quite a few decisions I don't agree with but in general I thought he was OK. No real difficult decisions in the game. The penalty was fairly clear cut and very similar to the one we got last week at Palace with the defender clumsily shoving the attacker in the back. Couple of times where he could have kept the game flowing but the only real decision which exercised my vocal chords was the decision not to give a free kick for what for me appeared a deliberate back pass.

[PieEater]

Was that Long pen claim in the box? It looked pretty clear that it was from where I was sat.

[ZacNaloen]

Was that Long pen claim in the box? It looked pretty clear that it was from where I was sat.

Looked about a foot outside the box from where I was

[TFF]

Was that Long pen claim in the box? It looked pretty clear that it was from where I was sat.

Looked about a foot outside the box from where I was

'greed. Ref called that one right.

Definite back pass missed though.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Definite back pass missed though.

More likely ignored than missed - refs are actullay coached not to give them, as they're so difficult to administer, with so many players so close to the goal.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Not perfect, but as good as you're going to get in any division and, to be honest, one of the better refs we've had this season.