Referee Tierney handed PL trial game
- adamhigginsuk
- Aug 27, 2014
- 2 min read
Stepping up: Tierney, in his fifth season in the Football League, will officiate in the Premier League for the first time this weekend (Picture by Adam Higgins)
FOOTBALL League referee Paul Tierney has been awarded a Premier League trial game ahead of the prospect of promotion to the Select Group.
The 39-year-old from Lancashire will take charge of Swansea against West Bromwich Albion at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.
Before the match in south Wales, Tierney will be in the middle for QPR's Capital One Cup second round tie at Burton Albion on Wednesday night.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the referees' association, have recently followed the mantra of handing one-off matches in the top-flight to National List referees in the "Talent Group" to assess their potential.
Robert Madley, Roger East and Craig Pawson were promoted by the PGMOL at the start of last season after a trial period, consisting of a handful of matches, while Michael Oliver, Jon Moss and Neil Swarbrick have progressed on the same path in the past.
Tierney has regularly officiated across all three divisions in the Football League since the start of the 2009-10 campaign, having previously served as a Premier League assistant referee.
Despite being renowned for frequently utilising his cards, the Wigan-based whistler is reputably consistent and composed under intense pressure when faced with major incidents.
Tierney has overseen five games in all competitions so far this season - two in the Championship, two in the Capital One Cup and a League One match.
He has brandished 18 yellow cards and two red cards and awarded two penalties - one to either side in Swindon's 2-1 win at Luton in the League Cup first round.
Tierney received praise for his excellent handling of Bristol City's 2-1 win over Sheffield United in the third tier on the opening weekend of the season.
He correctly booked United midfielder Ben Davies for diving - one of three yellows dished out - and played numerous advantages to keep the action flowing.
Tierney, now considered a mainstay in the Championship, endured a difficult campaign last term in which he came under criticism and had plenty of controversy to deal with.
The official sent off Jack Robinson and DJ Campbell in a fiery 2-2 draw between Lancashire rivals Blackpool and Blackburn in October.
A number of baffling decisions - including the dismissal of Jay McEveley - were lamented by both managers after his handling of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy semi-final first leg between Peterborough and Swindon.
QPR boss Harry Redknapp also questioned a red card shown to Richard Dunne early on in the Hoops' 3-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.
Overall in 2013-14, Tierney took charge of 35 matches in all competitions, brandishing 110 yellows and 13 red cards while awarding 11 penalties.
Last updated: 27 August 2014 17:14pm
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