EFL take decision on officials for huge Leeds United v Stoke City clash
The EFL have taken a decision on the officials for Leeds United’s clash with Stoke City.
The officials have been named for Leeds United’s massive Easter Monday Championship hosting of Stoke City, for which Darren Bond will be the referee.
The contest could set Leeds up for securing promotion to the Premier League later that evening if Daniel Farke’s Whites beat the Potters and Sheffield United then fail to win at Burnley in a 5.30pm kick-off.
Leeds will first host Stoke in a 3pm kick-off at Elland Road for which Lancashire referee Bond will be the man in the middle as he takes charge of a Leeds game for the first time this season.
Select Group 1 Premier League referee Bond has refereed seven Championship games so far this season, most recently Watford’s 2-1 defeat at Bristol City at the start of the month.
Bond has refereed 14 games involving Leeds so far during his career, eight of those contests ending in Whites wins with two draws and four defeats.
The most recent of them was a true day to forget for Leeds, Bond the man in the middle for last April’s 4-0 Championship defeat at QPR.
But in what Whites fans will hope is a possible omen, Bond’s previous Leeds game way back in July 2020 saw the Whites hammer Stoke City 5-0 at Elland Road – en route to promotion as Championship champions under Marcelo Bielsa.
Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring have been named as the assistant referees for Monday’s match for which Andrew Kitchen will be the fourth official.
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