Referee: DANIEL MIDDLETON
Assistants: Andrew Hickman and Hugh Gilroy
Fourth Official: Gareth Viccars
Daniel Middleton is a first-year referee who has been an official twice already at Sincil Bank this season. Firstly, we saw him acting as the fourth official as we drew 1-1 with Carlisle. More recently, he was in charge of our 3-1 victory against Charlton Atheltic.
He was a National League referee starting in the 2017/18 season, and one who likes a red – in 114 games, he showed 30, including three in Barnet’s Boxing Day win against Boreham Wood. One of those was for former Imp Bruno Andrade – Middleton has also sent off Sam Slocombe and Chris Bush in his time.
Has he calmed down in his first season as an EFL official? Almost. He showed a red card every four matches in the National League, and in the Football League, he’s shown one every five matches. His three dismissals this season include Jordan Turnbull in the Tranmere and Wimbledon game and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey in the first half of Grimsby’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City Under 21s. He’s officiated four League One matches, including Oxford’s 3-0 win against Exeter, in which he awarded two penalties to the home side, and Shrewsbury’s 2-0 defeat at Wigan, where Chey Dunkley was dismissed after just four minutes.