Pawson makes quick Turf Moor return in Premier League
Craig Pawson will referee tonight’s home game against Manchester City as the 2023/24 Premier League season kicks off and it’s a reminder that he also refereed our last Premier League game back in May 2022 when Newcastle beat us at the Turf to condemn us to relegation.
It will be his 21st Burnley game overall and it all started with a really poor performance in the League Cup tie against Barnet back in 2011 and that was followed in the same season with the game at Brighton when he sent off Brighton pair Romain Vincelot and Ashley Barnes in the first twelve minutes on our first ever visit to the Amex Stadium.
He was the referee who sent off two Chelsea players on the opening day of the season at Chelsea six years ago too, a game for which he might just be remembered more so by the Chelsea fans although he clearly got those decisions correct.
Pawson first refereed a Premier League game in March 2013 between Swansea and Newcastle on the day Charlie Austin was scoring a stunner for Burnley to record a 1-0 win at Charlton. It led to him becoming a Select Group referee for the following season where he’s been since. He’s also one of our ten referees who are currently FIFA International Match Officials.
Last season he refereed a total of 39 games although just 29 of those were in domestic football alongside internationals, European competitions and even a Greek League game between Panathinaikos and PAOK Salonika.
In the 29 domestic games he showed 111 yellow cards and just the one red card. Two of those yellows came in the Community Shield and a further four in the FA Cup semi-final between Brighton and Manchester United. Of the others, 54 went to home team players and 51 to away team players. The only player he sent off was Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucouré in their 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa in March.
Pawson’s most recent game in England was Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Leicester in May. He yellow carded Leicester pair Ricardo Pereira and Luke Thomas alongside Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate.
Fourth official tonight is Graham Scott; his last Burnley game was last season’s League Cup defeat at Manchester United. We are back with VAR this season and that will be in the hands of Michael Oliver who last refereed us at Norwich when a 2-0 defeat brought an end to Sean Dyche’s time at Burnley.
Match Officials
Referee: Craig Pawson
Assistant Referees: Simon Bennett & Steve Meredith
Fourth Official: Graham Scott
VAR: Michael Oliver
Assistant VAR: Stuart Burt
Previous Burnley Games – Craig Pawson
| Season | Opponents | V | Res | Y | R | Burnley Players Carded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011/12 | Burton | h | 6-3 | 4 | 0 | Y: Grant, Elliott |
| 2011/12 | Brighton | a | 1-0 | 3 | 2 | Y: Edgar, Paterson |
| 2012/13 | Millwall | h | 2-2 | 8 | 0 | Y: Marney, Mee, Wallace, Vokes |
| 2013/14 | Blackburn | h | 1-1 | 4 | 1 | Y: Marney, Duff, Mee |
| 2014/15 | Swansea | a | 0-1 | 3 | 0 | Y: Duff |
| 2014/15 | Arsenal | a | 0-3 | 1 | 0 | Y: Boyd |
| 2014/15 | Tottenham | a | 2-4 | 3 | 0 | Y: Keane, Arfield |
| 2015/16 | Brighton | a | 2-2 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2016/17 | Arsenal | h | 0-1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016/17 | Middlesbrough | h | 1-0 | 11 | 0 | Y: Boyd, Mee, Flanagan, Ward, Gray, Hendrick |
| 2016/17 | Liverpool | a | 1-2 | 4 | 0 | Y: Mee, Barton |
| 2017/18 | Chelsea | a | 3-2 | 7 | 2 | Y: Brady, Mee, Arfield |
| 2018/19 | Chelsea | h | 0-4 | 6 | 0 | Y: Tarkowski, Hendrick, Brady, Guðmundsson |
| 2018/19 | Newcastle | a | 0-2 | 4 | 0 | Y: Mee, Hendrick, Crouch |
| 2019/20 | Wolves | a | 1-1 | 2 | 0 | Y: Tarkowski, Lennon |
| 2020/21 | Aston Villa | a | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | Y: Brady |
| 2021/22 | Watford | h | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | Y: Stephens |
| 2021/22 | Manchester City | h | 0-2 | 1 | 0 | Y: Weghorst |
| 2021/22 | Watford | a | 2-1 | 3 | 0 | Y: Tarkowski, Collins |
| 2021/22 | Newcastle | h | 1-2 | 1 | 0 | Y: Tarkowski |
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