Andre Marriner will lead Wigan and Manchester City out at Wembley this weekend before taking charge of his first FA Cup final. The Birmingham-born official will be assisted this weekend by Stephen Child and Simon Long, as well as fourth official Anthony Taylor.
Promoted to the Premier League in 2005, Marriner has often been praised for his reluctance to flash cards during tense games, averaging around just three yellow cards a game. The referee has officiated in 36 games this season, producing 114 yellow cards and a modest six red cards during that time.
The 42-year old has refereed twice at Wembley before, in the 2010 Championship play-off final and then the Community Shield later that year. Marriner was the fourth official in the 2011 FA Cup final, where current FA Cup odds favourites, Manchester City, secured a 1-0 victory against Stoke City courtesy of a Yaya Toure goal.
“It’s a great honour to be asked to referee the 2013 FA Cup final, especially as it coincides with the 150th anniversary of the Football Association,” Marriner said.
“To be involved in the FA Cup final is ultimately every schoolboy’s dream and, as an occasion, they don’t come much bigger.”
“I’ll approach the final as I would any other fixture but obviously the whole event is on a completely different scale as it is the biggest club game in world football.”
Both teams will be looking to maintain their discipline this weekend, knowing a rash red card could well turn the tie on its head.
Not just that, Wigan know they face two crunch league games following this weekend’s game in which to avoid relegation, and Roberto Martinez can ill-afford to lose any of his key players through a silly suspension picked up in the FA Cup final.
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