Rob Jones will take charge of Leeds United’s trip to Blackburn Rovers this weekend – that’s according to Adam Pope of the BBC (via Twitter).
The Merseyside-based referee has taken charge of 22 games in the Championship this season, as well as one Premier League fixture. During the aforementioned fixtures, he has dished out 80 yellow cards and awarded nine penalty kicks (as per Transfermarkt).
Since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, he has taken charge of four games involving Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites, of which the Yorkshire-based club have won just one, their home clash with Birmingham City (via Transfermarkt).
Here is how a sample of the Elland Road faithful have responded to the news that Jones will be the man in the middle at Ewood Park this Saturday.
So in theory all being that luck evens itself out over a season ! , we should get at least 5 pens on Saturday from him!!
— Jay Suscenko (on loan to Monchengladbach ) (@JaySuscenko) July 1, 2020
He gonna make up for the 3 stonewall pens he missed against Forest?
— Daniel Scaife (@danpscaife) July 1, 2020
He owes us a few penalties from those games
— super_leeds (@soy_super_leeds) July 1, 2020
So you’re saying he owes us a couple pens?
— LeedsUnitedUSA (@LeedsUnitedUSA) July 2, 2020
Are you confident of a return to winning ways for Leeds United this weekend?
Yes
No
It is clear from the above responses that these Leeds supporters have been disappointed by Jones’ performances in matches involving them this season, in particular, his decisions to overlook a number of penalty claims. Some fans, however, were less fussed by the appointment and made their feelings known in the replies.
If we just had a clinical goal scorer we’d be over the line now, instead of looking over your shoulder like a fugitive #hunted
— Rich (@guidedogEarl6) July 1, 2020
Can’t be bothered TBF
— LJM (@passittopablo) July 1, 2020
The Whites currently sit six points clear of Brentford in the third position at the top of the Championship but having been held by Luton Town at Elland Road earlier in the week, Marcelo Bielsa’s men will be eager to get back to winning ways this weekend and take yet another step towards securing promotion to the Premier League for the first time since their relegation in 2004.