The referee for Leeds United’s Championship play-off final against Southampton on Sunday has been confirmed.
The Whites booked their place at Wembley last Thursday with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Norwich City at Elland Road, having actually drawn the first leg 0-0.
Southampton, meanwhile, were comfortable 3-1 winners over West Bromwich Albion 24 hours after Leeds’ win. They were also held to a 0-0 draw in the first leg.
OPTA’s supercomputer had Leeds and Southampton as the favourites to reach the final before a ball had been kicked, with the two sides’ coming third and fourth respectively in the regular season.
Though the Saints finished three points behind Leeds after 46 matches, they were actually the only team to complete a league double over Daniel Farke‘s side.
How Leeds have fared under referee John Brooks
John Brooks is the man who has been appointed as the referee for Sunday’s final, and it would be fair to say Leeds don’t have a great record with him in the middle.
Incidentally, the last Leeds game in which Brooks actually officiated was against Southampton all the way back in September, where the Whites were comfortably beaten 3-1.
That was actually the first game he had officiated of Leeds’ in 13 months, with the one before that coming in the EFL Cup win over Barnsley in August 2022.
Overall, Leeds’ record with him in charge reads two wins, one draw and seven defeats. He has never sent a Leeds player off, and has awarded one penalty for and against.
Southampton’s record with Brooks, meanwhile, makes for better reading. He has also officiated seven of their matches during his career, with Saints winning five and losing two.
He has awarded Southampton one penalty in those games, but has never given one against. Brooks hasn’t ever given them a red card.
Will VAR be in use in the Championship play-off final?
As everyone is aware, and Leeds fans have actually grown to enjoy, VAR was not in use during the regular Championship season, or play-off semi-finals.
However, like in the League One and Two finals over the weekend, VAR will be in operation on Sunday, and has been since May 2022 for such occasions.
Jarred Gillett – the referee who officiated Leeds’ semi-final win over Norwich – will be in charge of VAR at PGMOL’s Stockley Park headquarters.
VAR has already actually been put to good use in the play-off finals that have taken place so far, chalking off a Crewe Alexandra penalty for diving, that had initially been given on the field.
However, it has not been without its shortage of controversy in the last two Championship finals, denying Huddersfield Town two seemingly clear penalties during their 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in 2022.
Though perhaps the right decision, it also disallowed an extra-time winner from Luton Town’s Joseph Taylor 12 months ago due to handball. Here’s hoping there’s no controversy this weekend.
