Craig Pawson will take charge of Newcastle United’s match at St James’ Park this weekend as the Magpies aim for a fourth consecutive win in all competitions, a feat they haven’t achieved since the 2022-23 season.
It will be Pawson’s first return to Tyneside since officiating Newcastle’s opening-day victory over Southampton.
That match saw Newcastle claim a 1-0 win courtesy of a Joelinton strike, but it was not without controversy.
Fabian Schar was shown a red card following a clash with Southampton’s Ben Brereton-Diaz, earning the Swiss defender a three-match suspension for violent conduct.
Pawson also refereed Newcastle’s 0-0 draw at Everton last month, a game that saw mixed fortunes for Eddie Howe’s side.
He awarded Newcastle a penalty, which Anthony Gordon failed to convert, and denied Everton a second-half spot-kick following a challenge by Dan Burn on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
This time, Pawson will be assisted by Eddie Smart and Nick Greenhalgh, with Tony Harrington as fourth official. Chris Kavanagh will oversee VAR, supported by assistant VAR Tim Wood.
The match comes in the shadow of the recent controversy surrounding referee David Coote.
During the international break, Coote was suspended after a leaked video surfaced on social media in which he made derogatory remarks about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp.
Coote has a history with Newcastle, having refereed the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester United and acted as VAR during last season’s thrilling 4-3 win over West Ham.