Chelsea versus Southampton in the Premier League on Tuesday night is not exactly a match to get the juices flowing. The Blues are in a rut with just two wins in their last ten matches.
Southampton meanwhile, are rock bottom and heading back to the Championship. They are also in danger of beating Derby County’s record as the worst ever Premier League team – requiring three more points from their remaining 12 games to stave off that unwanted accolade.
But there may be something to excite supporters at kick-off and perhaps during the game too. That is because there is a name many people may never have heard before taking charge of the match.
The referee for the clash at Stamford Bridge is a man named Tom Bramall and he will not be that familiar to many football fans in the Premier League.
Bramall has only taken charge of five matches in the top flight this season, having officiated just 11 last year. He did eight the previous season too, spending more of his time in the Championship than the Premier League.
He has never officiated a Chelsea match before and, in fact, has only ever been the man in the middle for one game involving the so-called big six before now – Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth in August 2023.
It will be interesting for the fans to see how Bramall gets on in a big match in the Premier League. But if his fledgling record in the top division is anything to go by, we are sure to see the referee take centre stage.
Bramall averages nearly four cards per game this season after averaging more than five per game last season. He is not a referee to let the game flow, according to the stats, with only one of his matches ending without a single card being shown.
