Meet The Ref - Latics v Reading

The Latics will be back at the Brick Community Stadium on Tuesday, a rearranged fixture welcoming some familiar faces back to Wigan Athletic, with the visitors Reading managed by Leam Richardson, the referee for the game is scheduled to be Devon official, Lee Swabey. 

 

Lee Swabey, an experienced ref who has been around in the EFL since the 2015/16 season.

Previous Games

Swabey has refereed the Latics three times previously, two away from home, Shrewsbury in February 2024, a solitary goal scored by Matt Smith settled that game in our favour, Sean Clare, Baba Adeeko and Jason Kerr all picking up yellow cards.

A Charlie Kelman double saw us pick up a point away at Charlton in Swabey’s next Latics game, Cal McManaman receiving a yellow card in a 2:2 draw at the Valley.

The last time Lee Swabey ref’d the Latics came in January last season, our 0:3 home defeat against Birmingham City in January, Toby Sibbick and Jason Kerr both picking up yellow cards.

Lee Swabey Latics Games

Date	Competition	Result	Latics Cards
04 Jan 2025	League One	Latics 0:3 Birmingham	2Y
09 Apr 2024	League One	Charlton 2:2 Latics	1Y
17 Feb 2024	League One	Shrewsbury 0:1 Latics	3Y

 

Lee Swabey Card Watch 2025/26

Games – 18

Yellows – 64

Reds – 2

Penalties – 4

 Wigan Athletic v Reading

Referee – Lee Swabey

Assistants – Declan Ford & Kenwyn Hughes

4^th Official – Ollie Yates

Grab a listen to the latest podcast featuring a preview of the Reading game

Meet The Ref - Peterborough United v Latics

Latics travel down to Cambridgeshire on Saturday to face Peterborough United at London Road in a League One fixture, the referee for the game is scheduled to be Berkshire official, Steve Parkinson.

Steve Parkinson started refereeing in the Bracknell Sunday League as a 16 year old and worked his way up through the ranks of the local leagues, the Welsh Leagues and onto the National League by 2023, making his debut in the EFL in January 2024 with the Crewe v Salford game at Gresty Rd.

Last season Parkinson had 10 EFL league games, including one in League One, Lincoln’s 1:1 home draw with Shrewsbury back in April this year.

Previous Games

Saturday will be Steve Parkinson’s third time in charge of a Latics match this season, he previously officiated our home League One encounter with Saturday’s opponents, Peterborough United back in August, we won that comfortably enough with Chris Saydee and Jason Kerr on the score sheet in a 2:0 win, Ryan Trevitt picking up a yellow card.

Exeter away in November was the other of Parky’s Latics’ games, that ended all square, one apiece with Callum Wright on the scoresheet, Matt Smith ended up in the notebook and we had a Chris Saydee goal very dubiously disallowed for handball.

Peterborough have just the early season encounter with us as their only previous Steve Parkinson game.

Steve Parkinson’s Latics Game

Date	Competition	Result	Latics Cards
08 Nov 2025	League One	Exeter City 1:1 Latics	1Y
16 Aug 2025	League One	Latics 2:0 Peterborough	1Y

Steve Parkinson Card Watch 2025/26

Games – 25

Yellows – 87

Reds – 3

Penalties – 6

Peterborough United v Wigan Athletic

Referee – Steve Parkinson

Assistants – Jonathon Block & Alan Cresswell

4^th Official – Alan Dale

Grab a listen to the latest podcast featuring a preview of the Peterborough game.

Meet The Ref - Latics v Lincoln City

The Latics are back at the Brick on Saturday, high flying Lincoln City are in town for a League One encounter, the referee is scheduled to be Hastings official, Carl Brook.

 

The 50 year old is in his 6^th season as a Football League ref, though he has been a referee for 30 seasons in the lower leagues of the football pyramid, he only made the graduation to the big time in the 2020/21 campaign.

Previous Games

Carl Brook has taken charge of eight Latics’ games previously, the first three of which came in 2021, spread over two seasons.

Away at Bristol Rovers in the admin season, was the first time our paths crossed and who could forget Scott Wooton's last gasp winner in that encounter as we defied the odds to avoid relegation.

Brook refereed the Latics on three occasions last term, away at Stockport back in October 2024, James Carragher, Will Aimson and Scotty Smith all picking up yellow cards in a goalless draw, the 0:2 home defeat to Orient in December, Cal Mac picking up a yellow in that one, and our trip to Peterborough in January 2025, Ollie Norburn and James Carragher picking up yellows there.

Carl Brook’s last Latics game was back in August, our 1:0 defeat away at Luton, Tobias Brenan and Jason Kerr picking up yellow cards.

Lincoln City’s 3:0 mauling away at Crawley Town back in October 2024 was the last time Carl Brook was in charge of a fixture involving the Imps, Ronan Darcy banging home Crawley’s second goal that day.

Carl Brook Last Six Latics Games

Date	Competition	Result	Latics Cards
19 Aug 2025	League One	Luton 1:0 Latics	2Y
28 Jan 2025	League One	Peterborough 1:0 Latics	2Y
02 Dec 2024	League One	Latics 0:2 Orient	1Y
05 Oct 2024	League One	Stockport 0:0 Latics	3Y
11 Nov 2023	League One	Cheltenham 1:1 Latics	3Y
05 Dec 2021	FA Cup	Colchester Utd 1:2 Latics	1Y

Carl Brook Card Watch 2025/26

Games – 22

Yellows – 86

Reds – 9

Penalty Awards – 4

Wigan Athletic v Lincoln City
Referee – Carl Brook
Assistants – Graeme Fyvie and Lewis Raper
Fourth Official – Richard Aspinall

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

Meet The Ref - Wycombe Wanderers v Latics

Latics are back on the road on Tuesday, a trip to Adams Park to face, Wycombe Wanderers in a vital League One clash, London based official, Paul Howard will take charge of the game.

 

This is Howard’s 6^th season in the Football League following two seasons in the National League.

Previous

Paul Howard has taken charge of four Latics games previously, all in League One, and we have yet to win a game with him in charge.

The first two games came during the administration season a 1:1 draw away at Wimbledon and a 1:2 home defeat to Oxford, the 3^rd came the following season, January 2022, Howard was in charge of our goalless draw away at Cheltenham. 

Paul Howard’s last Latics game was our goalless draw against Port Vale in April 2024, Liam Shaw and Charlie Kellman picking up bookings.

Paul Howard last took charge of a Wycombe game on Boxing Day 2024, the Chairboys winning comfortably away at Stevenage by three goals to nil.

  Paul Howard’s Latics Games

Date	Competition	Result	Latics Cards
06 Apr 2024	League One	Latics 0:0 Port Vale	2Y
29 Jan 2022	League One	Cheltenham 0:0 Latics	2Y
16 Mar 2021	League One	AFC Wimbledon 1:1 Latics	0
21 Nov 2020	League One	Latics 1:2 Oxford United	2Y

 

Paul Howard Card Watch 2025/26

Games – 17

Yellows – 49

Reds – 1

Penalty Awards – 2

Wycombe Wanderers v Wigan Athletic
Referee – Paul Howard
Assistants – Michael Webb and Marc Wilson
Fourth Official – Elliott Swallow

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