Jarred Gillett will referee Newcastle United’s game with Leicester this weekend.
The Magpies are looking to make it five home wins in a row, having put another three points on the board last time out against Wolves.
Eddie Howe’s side are edging closer to Premier League survival. A good result for his side on Sunday will all but confirm safety.
Toon fans will be expecting another big performance from Bruno Guimaraes, but the performance from another man in the middle may interest some supporters as well.
Jarred Gillett previously struggled officiating Newcastle
Newcastle went to Vicarage Road earlier in the season to face Watford. Things were very different for both clubs, with completely different managers in the dugout. Steve Bruce was Toon boss, while Xisco Munoz still called the shots for the Hornets.
The game ended 1-1, but a lot of the narrative of the game surrounded the referee. It was Gillett’s first in the Premier League, making him the first overseas referee to take charge of a top flight game in England.
The 35-year-old came with a decent reputation, with viral clips of him talking to players in Australia mid-game catching the eye.
But he had an incredibly tough afternoon on his Premier League debut. Gillett dished out seven yellow cards, with Karl Darlow, Javi Manquillo and Matt Ritchie getting booked for Newcastle.
The referee quickly lost control of the game, and left feeling the wrath of both supporters who believed they were wronged. That’s when you know you haven’t had a great day.
Gillett hasn’t refereed Newcastle since, but that will change on Sunday. He’s in charge of Newcastle vs Leicester, and he’ll be hoping for a much quieter afternoon.
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