Meet The New Year Ref - Latics v Barnsley

Latics travel the six miles to the Toughsheet Stadium on Saturday to face local rivals Bolton Wanderers, scheduled to take charge of the game is Merseyside based referee, Ben Speedie. 

27 year old, Speedie, a former schoolteacher, made the step up from the National League to the EFL refereeing list ahead of the 2020/21 season.

Previous Games

During his first campaign in the EFL, Ben Speedie took charge of his first Latics game, a 1:1 draw away at Tranmere in the EFL Trophy, Harry McHugh scoring a 25-yard screamer and picking up the only yellow card of the tie.

Just one other Latics game under his belt which I will mention only in passing, our trip to Horwich earlier this campaign, can’t recall what happened that day to be honest, apart from Joe Hungbo picking up a yellow card and Paul Mullin producing a moment of magic and curling one in from just outside the box.

Speedie by name and ‘speedy’ by nature, the happy whistle blower made a rapid transit to the Select Group 2 of full-time refs and can now be found primarily plying his trade in the Championship.

Ben Speedie’s Latics Game

Date	Competition	Result	Latics Cards
10 Nov 2020	EFL Trophy	Tranmere 1:1  Latics	1Y

20 Sep 2025

League One

Bolton 4:1 Latics

1Y

 

Ben Speedie Card Watch 2025/26

Games – 21

Yellows – 70

Reds – 3

Penalty Awards – 3

Wigan Athletic v Barnsley
Referee – Ben Speedie
Assistants – Mark Ryder and Matt Sowerby
Fourth Official – Declan Brown

Grab a listen to the latest PWU Latics podcast featuring a preview of the Barnsley game

Meet The Ref - Burton Albion v Latics

Festive Monday on the road for the Latics with a trip to the Pirelli Stadium to face in-form Burton Albion in a League One fixture, the referee scheduled for the game is West Midlands official, Richie Watkins. 

The Nuneaton whistle blower made his EFL debut in December 2023, but in the following three seasons he has only accumulated a total of 8 (EIGHT) EFL games, and all 8 have come in League Two, our game at Burton will be his first at League One level.

Watkins is chair of the Nuneaton Referees Association.

Of his 14 games so far this campaign, 2 have come in League 2 and 3 in the EFL Trophy, the rest spread between Premier League 2 and the National League.

Richie Watkins Card Watch 2025/26

Games – 14

Yellows – 59

Reds – 8

Penalties – 2

 Burton Albion v Wigan Athletic

Referee – Richie Watkins

Assistants – Matt Parry & Matt Jones

4^th Official – Jamie O’Connor

Grab a listen to the latest podcast which airs on the negative side slightly.

Meet The Boxing Day Ref - Bradford City v Latics

Boxing Day on the road for the Latics with a trip to Valley Parade to face highflying Bradford City in a League One fixture, the referee scheduled for the game is Tyneside official, Seb Stockbridge.

The 41 year old has been a National List referee since the 2013/14 season when he kicked off his career in the big time with a League 2 encounter between Fleetwood and Dagenham & Redbridge, that first season saw Stockbridge issue 7 red cards in just 24 games.

An interesting fact, Seb spent time refereeing abroad in the Iceland domestic League back in 2013, a bit cold but lovely scenery.

Previous Games

Seb Stockbridge has refereed the Latics 12 times previously, the last one coming back in October, our one-all draw away at Mansfield Town, disallowing a Will Aimson goal for who knows what, also in that game Chris Saydee, Matt Smith and Fraser Murray all picked up yellow cards.

Stockbridge loves a Latics one-one draw, four of his last six games featuring our heroes have ended one-apiece.

Seb Stockbridge’s Last 6 Latics Games

Date	Competition	Result	Latics Cards
25 Oct 2025	League One	Mansfield 1:1 Latics	3Y
29 Mar 2025	League One	Latics 1:1 Barnsley	3Y
01 Jan 2024	League One	Barnsley 1:1 Latics	2Y
26 Aug 2023	League One	Latics 0:2 Barnsley	1 R
23 Apr 2022	League One	Latics 1:1 Plymouth	3 Y
26 Oct 2021	League One	Latics 1:2 Lincoln	3 Y

 Seb Stockbridge Card Watch 2025/26

Games – 20

Yellows – 88

Reds – 1

Penalties – 8

 Bradford City v Wigan Athletic

Referee – Seb Stockbridge

Assistants – Paul Newhouse & Wayne Grunhill

4^th Official – William Davis

Grab a listen to the latest podcast featuring a preview of the Bradford City Boxing Day game

Meet The Ref - Latics v Blackpool

Blackpool are the visitors to the Brick Community Stadium on Saturday for a lunch-time League One fixture. The referee for the game will be Select Group 2 official, John Busby.

 

The Oxfordshire based whistle blower became a National List ref in 2016 after serving as an EFL Assistant Referee for eight seasons, he was promoted to the Select Group 2 refereeing list for season 2021/22 and now spends most of his time refereeing in the Championship.

In his EFL career John Busby has taken charge of almost 400 games. 

Previous Games

Busby has four Latics games under his belt, his first coming in our League One title winning campaign in the 2017/18 season, a home meeting with Southend United, we won that game 3:0, Busby issuing just one card, a straight red to Southend’s Jermaine McGlashan for a two footed lunge on Callum Elder.

John Busby ref’d us twice in our last Championship season, 22/23, once at the DW Stadium when we entertained Bristol City, that game ending 1:1, Busby booking Joe Bennett who was lucky not to get a red card and our 3:0 away defeat to Burnley, sending off Omar Rekik and issuing five yellows in that game.

Busby’s most recent Latics game came in February 2024, our one-nil home win over Bolton, Stevie Humphries scoring and Josh Magennis, Matt Smith and Scott Smith all ending up with yellow cards and current Blackpool boss, Ian Evatt making a turkey out of himself, as usual, with some after match antics on the pitch. 

Of John Busby's 12 games so far this season, 7 have come in the Championship, 2 in League One and 3 EFL Cup games.

 John Busby Latics Games

Date	Competition	Result	Latics Cards
27 Feb 2024	League One	Latics 1:0 Bolton	3Y
11 Mar 2023	Championship	Burnley 3:0 Latics	5Y &1R
13 Aug 2022	Championship	Latics 1:1 Bristol City	1Y
14 Oct 2017	League One	Latics 3:0 Southend	0

John Busby Card Watch 2025/26

Games – 12

Yellows – 53

Reds – 2

Penalty Awards – 4

Wigan Athletic v Blackpool
Referee – John Busby
Assistants – Sam Lewis and Mark Dwyer

Fourth Official – Scott Jackson

Grab a listen to the latest PWU Latics podcast featuring a preview of the Blackpool game.

Meet The Ref - Huddersfield Town v Latics

Latics are back in League One action on Saturday, an early drive up the M62 to Huddersfield for a 12:30 kick off at the Accu Stadium, Lincolnshire based official, Darren Drysdale is scheduled to be in charge.

 

The 54 year old referee is a sergeant in the RAF and currently based at RAF Waddington. So he’ll be used to handing out the ‘marching orders’ if any player steps out of line, he does have a bit of a reputation as a tough man too.

A veteran of over 550 games, Drysdale is a vastly experienced referee.

Previous Games

This will be the 11^th Latics game for Drysdale, the last coming in September this year, our 0:2 home defeat to Cardiff City, Matt Smith picking up a yellow card, Morgan Fox receiving a red for a shirt pull late in the game which also resulted in a penalty for Cardiff.

Drysdale’s last Huddersfield game came early on this season, their 1:0 home win over Stevenage in August.

Darren Drysdale’s Last Six Latics Games

Date	Competition	Result	Latics Cards
27 Sep 2025	League One	Latics 0:2 Cardiff	1R 1Y
29 Apr 2025	League One	Burton 1:1 Latics	0
15 Feb 2025	League One	Latics 0:2 Stockport	1Y
29 Mar 2024	League One	Latics 1:1 Burton	1Y
29 Dec 2023	League One	Latics 2:0 Carlisle	3Y
26 Jan 2021	League 1	Latics 0:5 Blackpool	1Y

Darren Drysdale Card Watch 2025/26

Games – 15

Yellows – 44

Reds – 3

Penalty Awards – 2

Huddersfield Town v Wigan Athletic
Referee – Darren Drysdale
Assistants – Thomas Cooke and Mark Cunnliffe

Fourth Official – Zac Kennard-Kettle

Grab a listen to the latest PWU Latics podcast featuring a preview of the Huddersfield Town game.