Meet The FA Cup Ref - Arsenal v Latics

Latics are off to North London on Sunday, a 4^th round tie in the FA Cup and a chance to gain revenge for that 2014 semi-final loss on penalties, it’s Arsenal at the Emirates and the referee scheduled to take charge of the game will be West Sussex official, Tim Robinson.

 

41-year-old Tim was appointed to the EFL referees list for the start of the 2012/13 season, the season we won the FA Cup, taking charge of his first game between Southend United and Accrington Stanley.

With 520 games under his belt, the former PE Teacher is now part of the Select Group 1 full time refs and spends the majority of his time in the Premier League.

Robinson’s previously been in charge of six Latics games, his last one coming in May 2023, our final game of the Championship season, a goalless draw against Rotherham, a game in which Sam Tickle made his EFL debut and he has been an ever present between the sticks since.

Tim Robinson has had one previous Latics FA Cup tie, our 3^rd round home win over Blackburn in January 2022, Thelo Aasgaard scoring a late winner with a worldie which was voted ‘goal of the round’, James McClean and Max Power picking up yellow cards that day.

Of Tim Robinson’s 14 games this campaign, 6 have been in the Premier League, 6 Championship, 1 League One game, and 1 in the FA Cup which was Macclesfield’s fabulous display and win over Cup holders Crystal Palace in round 3.

Tim Robinson’s last Arsenal game came in December 2023, their 2:0 home win in the Premier League against Brighton. Robinson has refereed the Gunners three times in total, all in the Premier League all wins with a goals scoring aggregate of 8 for and none conceded.

Tim Robinson’s Six Latics Games

Date	Competition	Result	Latics Cards
05 May 2023	Championship	Latics 0:0 Rotherham
08 Jan 2022	FA Cup	Latics 3:2 Blackburn	2Y
01 Oct 2020	Championship	Latics 1:0 Birmingham	0
04 Aug 2018	Championship	Latics 3:2 Sheff Weds	1Y
02 Apr 2018	League One	Portsmouth 2:1 Latics	3Y
29 Apr 2017	Championship	Reading 1:0 Latics	1Y

Tim Robinson Card Watch 2025/26

Games – 14

Yellows – 64

Reds – 2

Penalty Awards – 2

Arsenal v Wigan Athletic
Referee – Tim Robinson
Assistants – Ian Hussin and Marc Perry

Fourth Official – Andy Madley

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

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.