Hooper takes charge as League One '˜bad boys' visit

Referee Simon Hooper will take charge when League One's most ill disciplined team arrive at the Proact on Saturday.
5 February 2017......   Huddersfield Town v Leeds United. Picture Tony Johnson.
Referee Simon Hooper sends Garry monk to the stands after a coming together  with Terriers boss David Wagner5 February 2017......   Huddersfield Town v Leeds United. Picture Tony Johnson.
Referee Simon Hooper sends Garry monk to the stands after a coming together  with Terriers boss David Wagner
5 February 2017...... Huddersfield Town v Leeds United. Picture Tony Johnson. Referee Simon Hooper sends Garry monk to the stands after a coming together with Terriers boss David Wagner

While Chesterfield have been shown a mere 46 yellow cards in their 31 league fixtures, Bury have earned 80.

The Spireites are yet to have a player red carded in league action – the Shakers have suffered eight dismissals.

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Those 87 cards make them the league’s bad boys, ahead of Swindon (85) and Shrewsbury (84).

Chesterfield, by comparison, have the second cleanest record in the league.

Bury’s Tom Soares is in the top 10 for cards shown in the division, with 10 yellows to his name.

Hooper has refereed just three League One games so far this season, dishing out 12 yellows in the process.

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In 20 Championship fixtures he’s flashed the yellow card 80 times and sent one player off.

The 34-year-old has refereed Chesterfield seven times in the past, only one of which the Spireites have won.

In those games he has yellow carded a Chesterfield player nine times and sent one off, and shown the yellow to five opponents, also sending one off.

Those two red cards came in the same 2008 game, a 4-2 loss at home to Macclesfield when Chesterfield’s Alan Goodall and the Silkmen’s Francis Green were both dismissed in time added on.

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This is the first time he’s taken charge of a Town game since 12th February 2016 when they lost 1-0 to Burton Albion.

The Swindon man has also presided over seven Bury fixtures and only seen them lose once.

He has cautioned a Bury player a dozen times in those games and an opposition player nine times.

Hooper recently had to deal with high profile controversy, when Leeds United and Huddersfield managers Garry Monk and David Wagner indulged in some touchline handbags.