Meet The Ref - Norwich City v Latics

Latics travel to Carrow Road on Saturday hoping to make it three wins on the bounce for the first time this campaign when we tackle Norwich City, the man charged with keeping the peace on the field of play is Surrey based whistleblower Gavin Ward.

The 37-year-old official is in his eleventh season with the Football League having made his debut in August 2007 when Hereford United beat Barnet 2-1 at Underhill. This will be only the third Latics game that Ward has been in charge of, our 1-3 away win at Plymouth last season and – ironically – our 0-1 away win at Carrow Road against Norwich back in March 2015.

Gavin Ward’s 8 games so far this season have been unspectacular, no red cards handed out and with just 18 yellows being issued he appears to have become quite lenient.

His games have covered the Championship (5), League 1, EFL Cup and the Football League Trophy, Ward has already officiated at Carrow Road this season, Norwich’s 2-0 win over Preston dishing out four yellows, two to each side and awarding 29 free kicks 13-16 in favour of the home side.

Gav has taken a bit of stick off managers down the years, Bradford boss Phil Parkinson said of him in January 2015 following a League 1 game against Rochdale – ‘If that is the best referee we can get and we have brought him up from Surrey then God help us. That performance was shocking. He is the worse referee we have had this season.’

Whilst Bristol City boss Steve Cotterill commented on Ward back in March 2015 following defeat against Rotherham – ‘…there was no blame attached to any of our players for their second goal. That one is down to the referee.’
Also the same season AFC Wimbledon boss Neil Ardley couldn’t hold back with Ward doing him over again, awarding a very dubious penalty against his team for Cambridge United, he said – ‘There is previous with this referee, we’ve had him twice before and both times he has been controversial’

Hopefully there is nothing controversial going on at Carrow Road, unless it’s in our favour of course.

Gavin Ward Card Watch 2018/19
Games – 8
Yellows – 19
Reds – 0

Norwich City v Wigan Athletic
Referee – GAVIN WARD
Assistants – Matt Foley and Lee Venamore
Fourth Official – Nick Kinseley