Wednesday, 6 August 2025

Meet The Ref - Orient v Latics

Latics travel down to Brisbane Road on Saturday to face Leyton Orient in our first away game of the 2025/26 season, scheduled to take charge of the game is Peterborough referee, Neil Hair.

The 44 year old was promoted onto the National List ahead of the 2018/19 season.

Hair had two seasons at Conference level, culminating with the National League play off final between Boreham Wood and Tranmere at Wembley, in May 2018. Just 47 seconds into the game Neil Hair showed his bottle by sending off Tranmere defender Liam Ridehalgh for serious foul play, a decision described as “both brave and correct”, Tranmere went on to win the game 2:1 and subsequently followed Hair into the Football League.

Previous Games

 Neil Hair has taken charge of two Latics game previously, both away days, the first was at Gillingham in the 2021/22 campaign, issuing Tom Naylor a yellow card, but, courtesy of goals from Max Power and Will Keane we ran out 0:2 winners. Last season’s final fixture at Sixfields, a 1:1 draw with Northampton saw Will Aimson pick up a red with virtually the last ‘kick’ of the game in the 102nd minute! James Carragher and Baba Adeeko both picking up yellows, Dale Taylor with a 96th minute equaliser giving us a share of the spoils.

Last Saturday saw Hair start his season off at Salford, a derby encounter against Crewe had the Cambridgeshire official reaching for his notebook on six occasions plus pointing to the spot to award Crewe a penalty

Neil Hair’s Latics Game

Date

Competition

Result

Latics Cards

02 Oct 2021

League One

Gillingham 0:2  Latics

1Y

03 May 2025

League One

Northampton 1:1  Latics

2Y 1R

 

Neil Hair Card Watch 2024/25

Games – 1

Yellows – 6

Reds – 0

Penalty Awards – 1

Leyton Orient v Wigan Athletic
Referee
– Neil Hair
Assistants – Jonathon Block and Ross Murphy
Fourth Official – Zac Cunningham

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