Match Officials

I think it must be a big game this Saturday – we’ve been given a fairly high profile official for the level.

Darren Drysdale is the man in the middle for this crucial National League title impacting clash.

He’s an RAF Sergeant when he’s not whistling in the middle and got in a spot of bother of his own a few years back when he squared up to Ipswich’s Alan Judge.  

So, yeah, let’s not mess with this chap.

He’s only refereed three other National League games this season, with his other 25 appointments coming in the EFL and associated competitions.

His season stats read, 28 games, 91 yellows, five reds and six penalties awarded.

He is closing in on 650 matches officiated in his career, but he hasn’t refereed a Yeovil game in quite a while.

We’ve had him 12 times, winning four, drawing three and losing five.

Most recently, an EFL Trophy defeat to Shrewsbury where Tom James and Otis Khan both saw yellow.

He also had a front row seat for ‘that’ 3-3 draw with Exeter, where Reuben Reid scored late in added on time to equalise for the Grecians, despite being 3-0 down on 87 minutes. (sorry for dredging that memory up).

He will be assisted by Martin Parker and Simon Robinson with Jack Churchill on fourth official duties.

SIR! YES, SIR!

National League – Premier
Referee: Drysdale, Darren
Assistant Referee: Parker, Martin
Assistant Referee: Robinson, Simon
Fourth Official: Churchill, Jack

Ross Martin will be the Man in Charge of Easter Monday’s clash between Eastleigh and Yeovil.

He is the proud (if unwitting) participant of one of our favourite Gloverscast images below.

Mr Martin has mainly been used in the EFL this season, only four of his 29 games this season have been at National League level.

In those four games, he’s dished out 17 yellows and just the one red.

His total numbers read 106 yellows across the 29 fixtures, four red cards and four penalties.

Yeovil Town have never lost a game when Ross Martin has taken charge of the Glovers, in six games we’ve won five and drawn one.

That draw was a 2-2 game between Yeovil and Eastleigh on Boxing Day 2024, Sean McGurk and Morgan Williams on the score sheet that day, his most recent visit to Huish Park was the 1-0 win over AFC Fylde in March of last season, Harvey Greenslade with the late, late winner.

Otis Khan saw yellow on that occasion.

Ryan Head and Nick Blogg are the assistants whilst Will Briers is in the dug out.

Eastleigh FC (First Team) v Yeovil Town FC (First Team)
National League – Premier
Referee: Martin, Ross
Assistant Referee: Head, Ryan
Assistant Referee: Blogg, Nick
Fourth Official: Briers, Will

Lewis Sandoe is the man in the middle for the Glovers’ Good Friday clash with Truro.

24 times he’s been the main man with the whistle this season, over a number of competitions including a handful in the EFL.

He’s dished out 87 yellow cards and just the two red cards.  He has pointed to the spot three times – including in his only game in charge of Yeovil.

He gave Ollie Pearce the chance of a free 12-yard tap in when the Glovers hosted York City in September.

Two Yeovil players went in the book that day, James Plant and Aaron Jarvis.

The only other time we’d had the pleasure was when Rhys Murphy came off the bench to rescue a point against Maidstone United in the National League South.

He has taken charge of seven Truro games over the last few seasons, three Truro wins, two draws and two defeats in that mix.

He will be assisted by Grzegorz Kornasiewicz and Darren Wilding, our man in the dugout is George Warren.

Yeovil Town FC (First Team) v Truro City FC (First Team)
National League – Premier
Referee: Sandoe, Lewis
Assistant Referee: Kornasiewicz, Grzegorz
Assistant Referee: Wilding, Darren
Fourth Official: Warren, George

It’s a big one at Huish Park when Morecambe come to town this Saturday and the man in the middle for the game is Mr Aaron Farmer.

Mr Farmer has taken charge of just eight National League games this season, dishing out 33 yellows in those fixtures, but that low number is because he has been fairly well spread out across the EFL and cup competitions.

In total, in 29 games, he has flashed the yellow 107 times, and found the red one on eight occasions – the same number of times he’s pointed to a penalty spot.

His only previous visit to Huish Park as a central referee came almost exactly one year ago, a 1-0 loss to York City in March 2025.

He awarded the high flyers a spot kick, in the end, the Ollie Pearce 12-yard tap in was the only difference.

He also took charge of the 2-0 away win at Woking in the same season, sending off Jack Stretton early on in that one.

Mark Senior and Joe Wright are his assistants with John Duffy looking after the dugouts.

Yeovil Town FC (First Team) v Morecambe FC (First Team)
National League – Premier
Referee: Farmer, Aaron
Assistant Referee: Senior, Mark
Assistant Referee: Wright, Joe
Fourth Official: Duffy, John

Yeovil Town head to Woking this midweek, with Richie Watkins taking charge of the game.

We haven’t had Watkins in the middle of one of our games for a little while – not since March 2023 to be precise. He took charge of a 1-0 home defeat Bromley.

He only booked ‘keeper Grant Smith on the day but it was a game with a little bit of spice to it.

A month prior, he also took charge of a 2-0 defeat to Maidenhead.

He’s been in the middle for 19 games this season, across six different leagues and cup competitions, 69 yellow cards, nine reds and three penalties have been awarded.

His assistants are Dean Treleaven and Isabel Chaplin with Dan Bonneywell on fourth official duties.

Woking FC (First Team) v Yeovil Town FC (First Team)
National League – Premier
Referee: Watkins, Richie
Assistant Referee: Treleaven, Dean
Assistant Referee: Chaplin, Isabel
Fourth Official: Bonneywell, Daniel

Callum Walchester is the man in the middle for the Glovers’ clash against Scunthorpe United this weekend.

He’s a busy man these days having covered 19 games this season, the vast majority of which have come in the National League.

In ten games at this level this season, he’s dished out 38 yellows, and three reds – and three pens.

He has already sent of a Scunthorpe player this season too, Joe Starbuck got a pair of yellow cards in their away game at Brackley and topped off a feisty contest by getting exclusive use of the changing room ahead of his team mates.

He’s officiated the Glovers twice, both green and white wins actually, most recently, in a 2-0 away win over Maidenhead United – goals from Frank Nouble and Harvey Greenslade – as well as a 1-0 away win over Braintree, the latter in the National League South campaign.

He’ll be assisted by Ryan Saward and Thomas Staten, David Nicholson is on fourth official duties.

Yeovil Town FC (First Team) v Scunthorpe United FC (First Team)
National League – Premier
Referee: Walchester, Callum
Assistant Referee: Saward, Ryan
Assistant Referee: Staten, Thomas
Fourth Official: Nicholson, David

There’s a name we’ve had before in the middle on Tuesday night when Tamworth visit Huish Park.

Oliver Mackey was the referee when the Glovers got trounced 4-0 at York City last season. Mackey sent Finn Cousin-Dawson off after 10 minutes and Dom Bernard late on as Ollie Pearce had a tap in master class.

He also took charge of the 1-0 win over Bath City in the National League South… **drifts off to dream of a Morgan Williams late winner**

No fewer than 106 yellow cards have been drawn from his pocket this season, from only 27 games too, just the three red ones though. He’s pointed to the spot on five occasions – he’s actually spent far more time in the EFL than in the National League system this season.

As far as his record with Tamworth goes, one game, a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Forest Green Rovers is all that appears.

Assisting Mackey are Grzegorz Kornasiewicz, Justin Amey and the fourth official is Stuart Kane.

James Oldham is the man in the middle for Yeovil’s FA Trophy quarter final tie up at Southport.

We actually saw him on New Years’ Day 2025, when we lost 2-1 away at Forest Green Rovers, if you recall, Kofi Shaw scored, gave a penalty away and got sent off.

This season, he’s been fairly busy, but mostly in the EFL – he’s officiated more games in League Two than any other division.

In total he’s taken charge of 21 games, across seven competitions giving out a total of 85 yellows, four reds and pointing to the spot on five occasions.

As far as I can tell, he’s taken charge of two Southport fixtures, but not for a while, most recently in January 2018 – a 1-0 loss to FC United of Manchester.

He will be assisted by Ollie Bickle and Niall Felton whilst Kavan Hurn is looking after the dugouts.

Southport FC (First Team) v Yeovil Town FC (First Team)
F.A. Challenge Trophy
Referee: Oldham, James
Assistant Referee: Bickle, Oliver
Assistant Referee: Felton, Niall
Fourth Official: Hurn, Kavan

Son of former Premier League referee Paul Durkin, James is the match official who will look after the Glovers’ game vs Sutton United this midweek.

We haven’t seen James for a little while actually, not since a 1-1 draw away at Aldershot in April 2023. Six Glovers got booked that day, including both Coopers.

In total, we’ve had him six times, just winning the one – a 2-1 win over Bromley in 2022.

As an additional quirk, back on 27th October, 2010, he took charge of this exact fixture. That game ended in a 2-1 win for Sutton; Joe Quigley scoring in between two Harry Beautyman efforts.

So far, this season, he’s taken charge of 25 games across six competitions, dishing out a clean 100 cards (4 per game on average for the maths wizzes) six reds and nine penalties have also been at the centre of his matches.

He has already seen a Sutton United game this season, a 4-2 defeat away at Wealdstone.

Adam Wilson and James Tewson will be on flagging duties with Jack Clench the fourth official.

Yeovil Town FC (First Team) v Sutton United FC (First Team)
National League – Premier
Referee: Durkin, James
Assistant Referee: Wilson, Adam
Assistant Referee: Tewson, James
Fourth Official: Clench, Jack

Michael Barlow has the honour of making his way to Brunton Park this Saturday to take charge of the game between Yeovil Town and Carlisle United.

A referee we’ve only seen twice, both on both occasions things didn’t go particularly well for the Glovers.

He took charge of a 1-0 away defeat to Halifax in April 2022, and then, just shy of a year later he took charge of the 3-0 defeat to Wrexham which sealed Yeovil’s relegation out of the National League and into the NLS.

He’s only taken one Carlisle game in his career, a 2-1 defeat away at Southend back in November.

13 games in total for Mr Barlow this season, resulting in 45 yellows (3.46 per game) two reds – both in the EFL – and just one solitary penalty awarded!

He’ll be assisted by George Eaton and Mark Cunliffe with Andrew Daniels on fourth official duties.

Carlisle United (First Team) v Yeovil Town FC (First Team)
National League – Premier
Referee: Barlow, Michael
Assistant Referee: Eaton, George
Assistant Referee: Cunliffe, Mark
Fourth Official: Daniels, Andrew