Latics travel to Hillsborough on Saturday to face Sheffield Wednesday in a Championship ‘War of the Roses’ game, trying to ensure that the players stick to the rules of engagement will be rookie referee Chris Kavanagh.
The 28 year old is in his first season as a National List official and this will be his debut game in the Championship, of the 12 games he has ref’d so far this season just three have been at League 1 level, seven in League 2, one each in the FA Cup (Grimsby v Oxford) and the JP Trophy (Preston v Shrewsbury).
Lancashire based Kavanagh has recently (May 2014) been appointed the Manchester Country FA’s Referee Development Officer, a position that appears to excite him, he says on the matter:
‘I am delighted to be offered the position of Referee Development Officer.
‘I look forward to continuing the great work that has already taken place under David Coote.
‘The hard work starts now and I look forward to the new challenges that lie ahead.’
In that last sentence was he talking about his new role or the game at Hillsborough on Saturday? Referees, strange breed!
Although he is new to the ‘man in the middle’ malarkey at this level, Kavanagh has been previously involved in one Latics game in an official capacity of some sort, that came last season, October 30th when he was an assistant to Sheffield referee Michael Naylor and ran the line in our goalless draw with QPR.
Chris Kavanagh Card Watch 2014/15
Games – 12
Yellows – 28
Reds – 0
Sheffield Wednesday v Wigan Athletic
Referee – CHRISTOPHER KAVANAGH
Assistants – Simon Clayton and Richard Wigglesworth
Fourth Official – Oliver Langford
Man in the Middle – Chris Kavanagh
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