Source: FOOTYMAD
Bates is in the middle at Watford
Stoke official Tony Bates will referee our game tomorrow at Vicarage Road against Watford and this will be his second Burnley game this season having refereed our 4-0 home win against Hull in September. Bates is one of the longest serving referees in the Football League and is now in his fifteenth season. He's refereed Burnley on a number of occasions but, looking back, there have been very few problems with his performances.He has been with us on some momentous days over the years. He was referee for the York game in the 1998/99 season on the day that Stan Ternent very publicly sacked four players. He yellow carded Paul Gascoigne on his Burnley debut in 2002 and refereed the disastrous 4-0 defeat at Coventry in 2004. More recently he was with the big decision on the day we had a parachutist on the cricket field stand roof and was the referee at MK Franchise last season on the day our manager ended his Turf Moor career.HIs last Burnley game saw just one yellow card, that to Hull's Nicky Barmby, and that means we've not picked up one yellow card in any of the last four Burnley games he's refereed.He's averaging close to three cards per game this season which is higher than usual for him. In 24 games there have been 66 yellow cards and four red cards. Of those yellow cards, 29 have gone to home team players and 37 to away team players.Of the four red cards there have been two in the Championship. He sent off Crystal Palace's James Vaughan in a 5-0 hammering at Derby and Dennis Souza of Doncaster in their 2-2 draw at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United.His last game was a week ago when he refereed Preston's 4-0 home defeat against Bristol City. Just Jamie McAllister (Bristol City) was yellow carded.The assistant referees are Ian Crouch (Kent) and Stephen Daly (Middlesex). The fourth official is Paul Kelly (Kent). Previous Burnley games:SeasonOppsVResYRBurnley players cardeda1997/98Bristol Citya1-330Barnes Beresford Vinnicombe1998/99Yorkh0-130Scott N Moore2001/02Bradford Cityh1-130Gascoigne Thomas2002/03Brightonh1-331Gnohere(R)2002/03Nottm Foresta0-220I Moore McGregor2003/04Millwallh1-120West2003/04Coventrya0-420Jensen May2004/05Plymouthh2-040Akinbiyi Branch Sinclair2005/06Leedsa0-251Jensen McGreal Sinclair2006/07Southamptona0-030Elliott Harley2007/08Scunthorpea0-220Jordan McCann2007/08Coventryh2-010McCann2008/09Ipswichh0-310.2008/09QPRa0-000.2009/10MK Franchisea2-120.2010/11Hullh4-010.
