Common sense came into play today when the football league announced that the referee for Friday’s game against Mansfield has been changed from Lee Probert to Graham Salisbury.
Probert took charge of last season’s fixture at the Vetch between the two sides and enraged the Mansfield contingent by sending off two of their players as well as handing out six yellow cards to the visitors. Mansfield fans were annoyed that Swansea players received no punishment with the viewpoint that the referee was very much the classic case of a ‘homer’
Probert was put back in charge of this week’s game – expected to take place in front of a near full house at the Vetch – but has now been changed.
In reality this was the correct decision to be made. Mansfield manager Keith Curle made no secret of his feelings on the referee after the game and placing him charge of the same fixture this year just seemed plain madness.
Now we can hope that all the talk after the game this time around is of the football that was played on the pitch rather than the actions of the referee.
Fingers crossed anyway!