Steve Bennett gets the Cup Final

[Guest Snorky]

FA Cup Final Referee

 

The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON

The Final

Chelsea v Manchester United

3pm, Saturday 19 May 2007

Wembley Stadium

 

The FA can announce that Steve Bennett has been appointed as the match referee for the 2007 FA Cup Final.

 

Bennett will take charge of the game between Manchester United and Chelsea at the new Wembley Stadium on Saturday 19 May.

 

The Kent official has been a referee since 1984 and has previously officiated at The FA Cup Final as linesman (1995) and fourth official (2001).

 

Assistant referees for this season's Final will be Peter Kirkup (Northamptonshire) and Dave Bryan (Lincolnshire). The fourth official will be Howard Webb (Sheffield & Hallamshire).

 

Bennett progressed through the refereeing ranks via the Winstonlead Kent League, Isthmian League and GM Vauxhall Conference becoming a Football League linesman in 1992 and referee in 1995. He was appointed as a Premier League referee in 1999 and joined the FIFA list in 2001.

 

Other highlights of his career have included the 2003 FA Community Shield, 2003 Football League Play-Off Final and 2005 Carling Cup Final.

 

His career has also featured refereeing the 2002 Intertoto Cup Final as well as the 2006 international between Brazil and Argentina. In addition, he acted as fourth official at the 2005 UEFA Cup Final.

[stressederic]

I wonder if 4th Officials secretly hope that the ref or one of the linesman get injured so they can get out on the pitch.

[Guest Snorky]

I wonder if 4th Officials secretly hope that the ref or one of the linesman get injured so they can get out on the pitch.

 

Definately

 

I was fourth official at Anfield for a reserve game once. I was dying for something to happen to one of the officials, I even offered a bribe

[Paul B]

Definately

 

I was fourth official at Anfield for a reserve game once. I was dying for something to happen to one of the officials, I even offered a bribe

 

 

Wasn't Glenn Campbell, the famous C&W singer a qualified ref? And didn't he have to be assistant ref in a game at Meadow Lane he was spectating at when the lino pulled a muscle and couldn't continue? And didn't this lead to him writing his most famous song...."I am a linesman for the County."

[Guest Snorky]

Wasn't Glenn Campbell, the famous C&W singer a qualified ref? And didn't he have to be assistant ref in a game at Meadow Lane he was spectating at when the lino pulled a muscle and couldn't continue? And didn't this lead to him writing his most famous song...."I am a linesman for the County."

 

I am now on phone to Comics Anonymus and snitching on you for poor jokes

[Paul_LFC]

Steve Bennett is a prat. His refereeing of the Carling Cup final the other year against Chelsea was a complete joke. You can be sure Fergie will compliment him in the press a few days before the big game, and Jose will counteract that by saying United will want to tempt Drogba into getting sent off.

[baz2107]

the best thing about this news is that with the FA rules this means Steve Bennett will never referee us in an FA Cup Final thank god

[Guest Snorky]

I made up Mike Dean never got it. I believe he was earmarked for it after the fiasco last season, but his handling of the Manchester United v Middlesbrough Cup game, did not do him any favours.

[Redkop]

the best thing about this news is that with the FA rules this means Steve Bennett will never referee us in an FA Cup Final thank god

 

 

 

He is fookin' refereeing our game today though

[Rich Gobey]

Wasn't Glenn Campbell, the famous C&W singer a qualified ref? And didn't he have to be assistant ref in a game at Meadow Lane he was spectating at when the lino pulled a muscle and couldn't continue? And didn't this lead to him writing his most famous song...."I am a linesman for the County."

 

Although Glen Campbell famously recorded that song, it was in fact written by Jimmy Webb.

 

Webb, no relation to former Nottingham Forest and Manchester United player Neil Webb, had no formal training as a football official. He does, however have a daughter called 'Chelsea'.

 

Interestingly, Chelsea football club are the proud inventors of every peripheral attachment of the game, including goal nets, magic sponges, ball inflation devices or 'pumps' as well as boot studs, sock ties, and moustaches.

 

I hope this doesn't help.

[Redkop]

He is fookin' refereeing our game today though

 

 

 

Change of ref

 

 

 

Peter Walton is a late replacement for Steve Bennett.