Farai Hallam to referee Albion cup tie at Man Utd | OneFootball

Farai Hallam will take charge of Albion’s Carabao Cup third-round tie at Manchester United.

According to TheArgus.co.uk, the Rugby-born official has handled Albion’s under-21s but not the senior side, and he has never refereed Manchester United. He had previously spoken of targeting the game’s biggest stages, including Old Trafford.

Hallam, 33, came through Stevenage’s academy before being released at 18, then pursued refereeing as another route to the top. He believes a playing background helps, from communication to reading fouls and making instinctive calls. As a former centre-half, he says he can quickly recognise a defender’s intentions.

He made headlines on his Premier League debut by sticking with a no-penalty decision in Manchester City v Wolves after being sent to the monitor. VAR will not operate for this tie, a talking point at Old Trafford on Sunday.

This season he has officiated five matches, with his only Premier League game a 2-2 draw between Chelsea and Hull on Saturday. He showed six yellows that day, taking his seasonal total to 17. Last term he oversaw 34 fixtures, including four in the top flight, and produced 111 bookings.

He has not dismissed a player in any of his past 59 matches. He also refereed the FA Trophy final between Southend and Wealdstone and Arsenal’s celebratory Premier League match at Crystal Palace at the end of last season. He will be assisted by Craig Taylor and Conor Brown, with Lewis Smith as fourth official.

Source: TheArgus.co.uk

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