Tom Nield to referee Walsall home clash

Tom Nield has been appointed to take charge of the home league encounter against Walsall on Tuesday.

The West Yorkshire-based official will travel to the Sands Venue Stadium for his 23rd game of the season and his 10th in Sky Bet League Two.

This is his fifth season as an EFL referee, with the 2017-18 campaign his first. 

Nield began his season at Oldham Athletic, officiating their 1-0 home defeat to Newport County. He showed five cautions on the day. Meanwhile, his latest clash was a 1-0 home win for Northampton Town against Salford City when two cautions were issued.

The official has had a busy couple of years off the pitch off the pitch as a senior nurse/matron with the Acute & Emergency Service at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. Now in a Head of Nursing role, Nield has been working hard on the front line along with spending his evenings and weekends on a football pitch.

He's taken charge of six Iron fixtures in the past. He oversaw the 1-0 away win at Grimsby Town, while he has also taken charge of one other Lincolnshire derby, a 2-1 win in the EFL Trophy during October 2017 against Lincoln City, secured through a brace of goals from Tom Hopper. His latest involvement was a 2-0 home win against Bradford City. Across the six games, he's issued 27 yellow cards and no reds.

Tuesday will be the sixth time he's taken charge of a game involving the Saddlers. It'll be the first time since March 2020 when he oversaw the 3-1 home win over Exeter City. Across the six games, he's issued 14 cautions and one red card.

Last season saw him show 109 yellow cards and three reds in 32 matches, while this season he has officiated 22 games, showing 96 yellow cards and two reds.

On Tuesday, Nield will be assisted by Graeme Fyvie and Simon Clayton, while Chris Ward has been appointed as the fourth official.

PAST SCUNTHORPE UNITED ENCOUNTERS

DATE	COMP	MATCH	Y	R
Mar 23, 2021	LG 2	Iron 2-0 Bradford City	3	0
Feb 1, 2020	LG 2	Crawley Town 3-1 Iron	5	0
Dec 21, 2019	LG 2	Grimsby Town 0-1 Iron	7	0
Oct 19, 2019	LG 2	Newport County 2-1 Iron	6	0
Apr 7, 2018	LG 1	AFC Wimbledon 1-1 Iron	3	0
Oct 7, 2017	EFL TGS	Iron 2-1 Grimsby Town	3	0

PAST WALSALL ENCOUNTERS

DATE	COMP	MATCH	Y	R
Mar 7, 2020	LG 2	Walsall 3-1 Exeter City	4	0
Nov 12, 2019	EFL T	Walsall 6-0 Forest Green Rovers	2	1
Nov 6, 2018	LG 1	Walsall 0-2 Charlton Athletic	4	0
Aug 21, 2018	LG 1	AFC Wimbledon 1-3 Walsall	2	0
Oct 14, 2017	LG 1	Walsall 1-1 Blackpool	2	0