Sunderland handed referee for Middlesbrough clash who’s officiated two wins for Michael Carrick’s side already this season
Sunderland’s next fixture is one Black Cats fans relish more than most, with a trip to the Riverside to face Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough side.
The fierce North East derby will be a great chance for Sunderland to get back on track after dropping points against bottom of the league Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.
Regis Le Bris admitted his team got ‘lucky’ to take a point from that game, and must surely know that the Black Cats need to perform a lot better if they want to get anything against high-flying Middlesbrough.
We’ve already taken a look at the predicted XI for Sunderland ahead of the game, but what about the man in the middle? Here’s who will referee the upcoming fixture.
Who’s the referee for the Middlesbrough vs Sunderland game?
Stephen Martin will be the referee for the game between Middlesbrough and Sunderland on Monday night.
He will be joined by assistants Blake Antrobus and Carl Fitch-Jackson, while James Bell will be the fourth official.
Stephen Martin referee record this season
Stephen Martin has officiated 19 games across the 2024/25 campaign, 14 of which have been in the Championship. He has also taken charge of four League One games and one League Two match.
While Martin is fairly trigger happy when it comes to brandishing yellow cards, with 81 shown across his 19 games, he is still yet to show a red card this season.
Martin has awarded three penalties this season, with all of them given to the home side (Swansea, Norwich, Birmingham City). But, he hasn’t pointed to the spot since October.
Let’s hope Sunderland are not too distracted by deadline day on the night and keep their wits about them, as this fiery derby could well be the game to buck the trend for Martin when it comes to red cards and penalties.
Interestingly, Martin has taken charge of two Middlesbrough games this season, both at the Riverside, and both ending in a home win — a 2-0 win over Stoke City, and a 3-1 win over Hull City.
