The selected referee for this week’s fixture against Doncaster is Seb Stockbridge, with Jake Topp and Paul Sonier as his assistants.
Once upon a time, I’d have feared this, but over the years, Seb has proven himself to be one of the most solid and consistent referees on the circuit. I am in a position to forgive him for the Billy Knott sending off, which at the time had me charging to the front row against Notts County, yelling obscenities.
Seb has taken charge of 20 Lincoln City matches, dating back to October 2011 and running through to the current season, covering Conference, League Two and League One fixtures. His first three matches involving City, against Bath City, Barrow and Grimsby Town during the 2011-12 season, were all low on disciplinary action and low on excitement.
The first notable game came in September 2012, when Lincoln beat Hyde 3-2. There were three penalties awarded in that match. Colin Larkin scored twice from the spot for City, while Hyde converted one penalty through Scott Spencer.
Stockbridge did not referee Lincoln again until 2017, when he oversaw the League Cup defeat at Rotherham, but the following month, he took charge of the 4-1 defeat at Notts County. I’ve mentioned that, let’s move on.
Later that season, he officiated the 2-0 win against Accrington Stanley, giving us a penalty and sending Farrend Rawson off, a decision later overturned.
Still not a ref I liked, he also took a 1-0 victory over Cheltenham Town, that season, while in the 2018-19 campaign, he handled the 2-1 win against Bury, which featured a Lee Frecklinton penalty, and the 3-1 victory over Morecambe with a John Akinde penalty.
Since then, he has officiated a 0-0 draw at Hull City, the 2-1 win at Wigan Athletic in 2022/23, where two players were booked, a 2-0 victory over Oxford United and the 1-1 draw with MK Dons in which Lasse Sorensen first played wing-back.
Phew, we’re still going. Across the 2023-24 season, he oversaw the 2-0 EFL Trophy defeat at Derby County and the 3-1 win at Carlisle United in April, where two players were cautioned. Last season, he refereed the 4-1 home win against Mansfield Town and the 2-3 defeat to Wycombe Wanderers, both times putting in faultless displays.
In the current season, he has taken charge of the 3-1 win against Luton Town, with one booking for the Imps and five for Luton, and the 2-2 draw at Blackpool, where two City players were cautioned and one penalty was awarded.
He’s taken 18 League One matches this season, is 15/70 for fouls per game, but 35/70 for fouls per tackle, suggesting he has had tougher games. He’s 12/70 for yellows per game, so while he seems to have become a ref I like, he does still look like a disciplinarian.
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