Ref Watch – Lincoln City v Portsmouth

The Football League has now announced the officials that will take charge of the match between Lincoln City and Portsmouth in League One.

Lincoln City host Portsmouth on Tuesday, January 28 for the match at Sincil Bank and the match carries a 7.45pm kick-off.

Referee: Ben Toner.
Assistants Refs: Wayne Grunnill and Ian Dudley.
Fourth Official: Declan Bourne.

Ben Toner has been the man in the middle for 11 matches involving Lincoln City:

12/02/13: Stockport County 2-0 Lincoln City (Conference) – 3 yellow cards
23/03/13: Lincoln City 3-2 Telford United (Conference) – no cards shown
12/11/13: Southport 0-1 Lincoln City (Conference) – 1 yellow card
15/02/14: Lincoln City 2-0 Kidderminster Harriers (Conference) – 6 yellow cards
13/09/14: Lincoln City 2-3 Bristol Rovers (Conference) – 1 yellow card
17/01/17: Lincoln City 1-0 Ipswich Town (FA Cup) – 3 yellow cards
09/01/18: Rochdale 0-1 Lincoln City (EFL Trophy) – 3 yellow cards
12/05/18: Lincoln City 0-0 Exeter City (League Two Playoffs) – 1 yellow card
27/11/18: Oldham Athletic 1-1 Lincoln City (League Two) – 6 yellow cards and 1 red card
12/01/19: Swindon Town 2-2 Lincoln City (League Two) – 3 yellow cards and 2 red cards
07/12/19: Burton Albion 0-2 Lincoln City (League One) – 6 yellow cards

TOTALS: Matches: 11 | Yellow Cards: 33 | Red Cards: 3

He received an average rating of 4.33 following the 2-0 win away at Burton Albion in December. Some of the comments can be found below:

sedgleyimp: “I will start this off with a 5/10.

Not horrendously terrible but very whistle happy with many challenges penalised which seemed perfectly legal.

Interesting that he booked Hesketh for simulation but then did nothing when the Burton player went down holding his face after a challenge by Akinde which as nothing was given must also have been simulation with the intention of having an opponent sent off.

No major issues just petty is perhaps the right descriptive.”

Chimpimp: “Ben Toner must be one of the fittest referees to referee L1 matches.

Unfortunately, he is one of the referees least fit to referee a League One match.

Seems sure any physical contact is a foul.

Looking at him, he was the little lad who never got a kick, so gave up at about 12 and became a referee – with the aim of making football, the nice gentle game, he would have preferred to play.

It wasn’t one of his worst performances but it certainly was not in the good category.
2/10 – 1 for being fit and 1 for having a very crisp parting.”

PerthImp: “Must be me then. I can’t stand the guy but yesterday I thought, judging him by his own standards, he is getting better and got a few things right. Unfortunately, we have to judge him more by accepted standards of refereeing! However, he is also far too finicky and doesn’t like the physical side of the game. Needs to let things flow a bit more. He also still has a downer on Lincoln – the amount of times he gave Burton FKs but not Lincoln for the same offences, particularly in the first half, was laughable. I’ll give him a generous 4/10.”

Ben Toner: 2019/20 Stats:

10/08/19: Grimsby Town 1-1 Bradford City (League Two) – 3 yellow cards
13/08/19: Barnsley 0-3 Carlisle United (EFL Cup) – 3 yellow cards
17/08/19: Shrewsbury Town 0-0 Rochdale (League One) – 3 yellow cards
27/08/19: Mansfield Town 1-1 Everton U21s (EFL Trophy) – 4 yellow cards and 1 red card
31/08/19: Crawley Town 1-0 Cheltenham Town (League Two) – 3 yellow cards
07/09/19: Milton Keynes 2-1 AFC Wimbledon (League One) – no cards shown
17/09/19: Sunderland 1-1 Rotherham United (League One) – 3 yellow cards
28/09/19: Ipswich Town 4-1 Tranmere Rovers (League One) – 3 yellow cards
05/10/19: Crewe Alexandra 1-1 Exeter City (League Two) – 4 yellow cards
08/10/19: Oldham Athletic 0-3 Accrington Stanley (EFL Trophy) – 4 yellow cards and 1 red card
12/10/19: Leyton Orient 3-1 Walsall (League Two) – 4 yellow cards and 1 red card
22/10/19: Blackpool 1-1 Wycombe Wanderers (League One) – 3 yellow cards
02/11/19: Portsmouth 1-1 Oxford United (League One) – 3 yellow cards
05/11/19: Coventry City 3-2 Southampton U21s (EFL Trophy) – 2 yellow cards
23/11/19: Cheltenham Town 1-1 Colchester United (League Two) – 5 yellow cards
27/11/19: Blackpool 1-3 Scunthorpe United (EFL Trophy) – 4 yellow cards and 1 red card
07/12/19: Burton Albion 0-2 Lincoln City (League One) – 6 yellow cards
21/12/19: Bolton Wanderers 3-2 Southend United (League One) – 2 yellow cards
29/12/19: Walsall 1-2 Carlisle United (League Two) – 2 yellow cards and 1 red card
01/01/20: Port Vale 2-2 Macclesfield Town (League Two) – 2 yellow cards
07/01/20: Doncaster Rovers 2-0 Shrewsbury Town (League One) – 2 yellow cards
18/01/20: Milton Keynes 0-1 Sunderland (League One) – 6 yellow cards

TOTALS: Matches: 22 | Yellow Cards: 71 | Red Cards: 5

Ben Toner oversaw 38 matches last season. He showed a total of 120 yellow cards and 6 red cards.

He was most card happy in the match between Notts County and Northampton Town (2-2) in Sky Bet League Two when he showed 8 yellow cards and 1 red card.

Toner was the man in the middle for 37 matches during the 2017/18 season. In those matches, he showed a total of 105 yellow cards and 5 red cards.

He showed 9 cards on two occasions, both in Sky Bet League Two: Crewe Alexandra 3-0 Crawley Town (7 yellow cards and 2 red cards) and Notts County 0-0 Wycombe Wanderers (9 yellow cards).

Match Day referee Toner took in 36 games in 2016/17, showing 121 yellows cards and five red cards.

He was most card happy in the match between Bury and Bristol Rovers on March 14, with a total of 8 yellow cards and one red card being shown.

Sources: English Football League & Soccer Base.

Who Are The League One Managers? No.16: Kenny Jackett (Portsmouth)

Ref Watch – Lincoln City v Portsmouth:https://t.co/D0si4rg6J2#ImpsAsOne #ProudToBeImps #Pompey

— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) January 26, 2020

https://www.facebook.com/VitalLincolnCity/posts/2682586885110873