Martin Atkinson from West Yorkshire will take charge of QPR’s meeting with West Bromwich Albion today.
The Select List official, who is also on the Fifa International Referees List, is one of the more experienced heads in the Premier League at present.
After being appointed to the Select List in 2005, Atkinson has gone from strength to strength, getting international honours and officiating the FA Cup final at the finale of last season.
This weekend he will be assisted by Andy Newbold (Leicestershire) and Ceri Richards (Camarthenshire) with the fourth official newly appointed select list official Jon Moss (Yorkshire).
Thus far this campaign he has dished out 70 yellow cards and seven reds in 17 games – thus giving him an average of 4.53 cards per game.
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Refereeing Rangers |
On a wet and blustery day at Adams Park, the country was full of speculation that fixtures would have to be postponed due to gale-like conditions. Wycombe truly blew QPR away before the break with goals for Matt Bloomfield and Craig Faulconbridge.
Rangers emerged from the break invigorated and Kevin Gallen halved the deficit effective immediate, before Martin Rowlands took full advantage of the conditions to send a cross into the wind and sail into the back of the net.
Fast forward a year and Rangers’ promotion, they travelled to Upton Park for the first time since their relegation from the Premier League to face a West Ham United side out for revenge from their earlier season defeat at Loftus Road.
Luke Chadwick’s customary tumble earned the Hammers the lead from the spot, with Marlon Harewood dispatching. Kevin McLeod equalised in front of a loud QPR following before Harewood doubled his tally to won the points for the promotion hopefuls.
Rangers were swept away by Watford a year beyond that, with Matt Spring, Anthony McNamee and Ashley Young putting QPR to the sword in a nightmare at Vicarage Road. A consolation came from soon-to-be Watford defender Dan Shittu.
Another year beyond this Rangers made their ever-daunting trip up to the Britannia Stadium, a place that previously held a fine record for the visitors. Danny Higginbottom’s penalty was enough to see off QPR however in this uninspiring affair.
You have to fast forward over four years until the next time Mr Atkinson oversaw a QPR clash, with a win over Crystal Palace contributing to a successful promotion campaign. A Heidar Helguson brace sandwiched a James Vaughan equaliser as QPR went on to secure promotion.
Rangers’ first visit back to the top flight ended in disaster as Rangers were trounced by Bolton Wanderers on the Premier League curtain raiser. Gary Cahill, Ivan Klasnic and Fabrice Muamba were all on the scoresheet supplemented with a debut own goal from Danny Gabbidon.
Clint Hall also saw red following his ill-advised charge at Martin Petrov in a thoroughly forgettable day for Queens Park Rangers. But more excitement was to come a few short weeks later as Rangers entertained high-flying Manchester City.
The R’s were as high a price as 9/1 with some bookmakers but had the lead when Jay Bothroyd slammed home a header – Edin Dzeko equalised with a well-crafted solo goal, cutting in from the left before dispatching beyond Paddy Kenny.
David Silva rounded off a flowing counter attacking move to hand City the lead, before Heidar Helguson deflected a Bothroyd effort to level the scores. Yaya Touré had the last laugh however, sending a towering header home to settle an enthralling encounter.
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Mr Atkinson & Queens Park Rangers |
Wycombe Wanderers 2-2 QPR – 20/03/2004
Goals: Bloomfield 27, Faulconbridge 30; Gallen 46, Rowlands 68
Yellow: Tyson; Carlisle, Bircham
West Ham United 2-1 QPR – 06/11/2004
Goals: Harewood 36pen, 84; McLeod 72
Yellow: Repka, Powell, Hutchison; Simek
Watford 3-1 QPR – 01/11/2005
Goals: Spring 39, McNamee 70, Young 76; Shittu 90
Yellow: NONE
Stoke City 1-0 QPR – 09/12/2006
Goals: Higginbotham 17pen
Yellow: Griffin; Mancienne
QPR 2-1 Crystal Palace – 12/03/2011
Goals: Helguson 20, 54pen; Vaughan 40
Yellow: Taarabt; Danns, Dikgacoi, Vaughan
Red: McCarthy
QPR 0-4 Bolton Wanderers – 13/08/2011
Goals: Cahill 45, Gabbidon 67og, Klasnic 70, Muamba 79
Yellow: Cahill, Reo-Coker
Red: Hill
QPR 2-3 Manchester City – 05/11/2011
Goals: Bothroyd 28, Helguson 69; Dzeko 43, Silva 52, Touré 74
Yellow: Barton; Balotelli
