One of the major talking points after every game of football is how the referee performed and how their decisions affected the outcome of a match.
After the weekend, every decision is scrutinised and often it is the referee’s performance that gets analysed more than the performance of the players on the pitch.
It is an unforgiving job at times, however, there is no denying that results can be affected by major decisions made by a referee - and Newcastle have seen this happen on multiple occasions this campaign.
The Magpies even wrote a letter to the Premier League questioning a few decisions made against them at the end of 2021.
Here, using data provided by AceOdds, we take a look at how Newcastle United’s win percentage over the past five seasons differs under each referee and rank their fortunes under each referee from worst to best:
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5. Martin Atkinson - 23%
Atkinson will be the man in charge of the game between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle on Sunday. United have a 23% win record when he is in charge. Photo: OLI SCARFF
6. Mike Dean - 27%
Dean’s controversial decisions during the defeat to Liverpool in December possibly cost Newcastle a vital point on that occasion. The failure to stop the game after Isaac Hayden’s head injury and the decision not to award Newcastle a penalty were just two decisions that the away side felt an injustice with. Photo: OLI SCARFF
7. Lee Mason - 29%
Newcastle’s famous 3-2 comeback win over Everton in 2019 will be remembered for a long-time at St James’s Park and Mason was in the middle for that game - failing to send off Jordan Pickford for his tackle on Salomon Rondon early on in the game. Photo: Mark Runnacles
8. Craig Pawson - 31%
Pawson refereed Newcastle’s last game before the international break, sending off Everton midfielder Allan in United’s ultimately unsuccessful visit to Goodison Park. Photo: Michael Regan