Mansfield v Pompey: who's the ref?

Lee Swabey will be the man in the middle when Pompey travel to Manfield today.
Lee Swabey. Picture: Barry ZeeLee Swabey. Picture: Barry Zee
Lee Swabey. Picture: Barry Zee

Here’s all you need to know about the Plymouth-born referee:

Who is he?

Swabey was involved in his first Football League game in 2006. He was one of the assistant referees when Bournemouth took on Cheltenham.

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However, it wasn’t until last season when he finally took charge of a league game.

His first match was a 1-1 draw between Carlisle and Mansfield in August 2015.

Since then he’s become a regular in the lower leagues, having taken charge of 40 games in League One and Two.

Has he been in charge of Pompey before?

This will be Swabey’s first league game in charge of the Blues, although he officiated two cup games involving Paul Cook’s side.

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The first was Pompey’s 2-1 win over Macclesfield in the first round of last season’s FA Cup. It was a quiet day for Swabey as he dished out a solitary yellow card to Kyle Bennett during a drab affair at Fratton Park.

The only other time he’s taken charge of the Blues came back in September 2015 when a youthful Pompey side crashed out of the Johnston’s Paint Trophy at the hands of Exeter.

The game is best remembered for Cook fielding seven academy graduates.

It was another quiet affair for the man in the middle, who didn’t give out a single booking.

What’s his record this season?

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Swabey has taken charge of 12 league games this season, all in the bottom two tiers.

He has dished out 50 cautions and three red cards.

Last weekend, he was kept busy in Exeter’s 3-1 win over Morecambe and handed out seven bookings.

Who are his assistants?

Swabey will be assisted by Richard Wild and Anthony Moore.

The fourth official is Marvyn Amphlett.