Probert to ref south Wales derby

Coca Cola Championship - Swansea City v Cardiff City
Venue: Liberty Stadium Date: Saturday, 7 November Kick-off: 1245 GMT Coverage: Full commentary on BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, live text commentary online and score updates on BBC Radio 5 live.

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Lee Probert joined the Premier League list for the 2007/08 season

Referee Lee Probert will officiate in Saturday's south Wales derby between Swansea City and Cardiff City at the Liberty Stadium.

Bluebirds boss Dave Jones claimed the Wiltshire official was unfit to referee after he sent off two Cardiff players in their 1-0 loss at QPR last year.

Jones said after the Loftus Road defeat: "Is he good enough to referee at this level? I say no.

"They talk about respect but how much respect for the game did the ref have?"

Darren Purse and Miguel Comminges were sent off in that defeat at QPR but Purse had his red card overturned on appeal.

Probert was fourth official and advised referee Mike Dean to send off Gunners boss Arsene Wenger as Arsenal lost 2-1 at Manchester United in August.

Wenger, who had kicked a water bottle following a disallowed Arsenal goal, is now to get an apology from referees chief Keith Hackett over his dismissal.

"Lee Probert totally failed to manage the situation and created a needless pressure point taking the focus away from the pitch in a big event with only a minute to go," claimed League Managers Association chief Richard Bevan afterwards.

There is going to be a strong ref for this game and that is crucial Swansea City defender Ashley Williams

Probert also suffered a case of mistaken identity when he gave Aston Villa defender Stephen Warnock a yellow card in their draw at Everton.

The full-back, who will have his caution rescinded, was accidentally handed the punishment for a foul committed by Stiliyan Petrov, a mistake Probert later admitted to.

Probert, who has given 29 yellow cards and two reds this season, is the latest Premier League referee to take charge of this fixture as Mike Dean, Martin Atkinson and Alan Wiley officiated on last season's three fixtures.

"There is going to be a strong ref for this game and that is crucial," said the centre-back," Swansea defender Ashley Williams told the South Wales Evening Post.

"There are so many incidents in these games and the major calls need to be correct. You need the ref to be sensible and be sure of his decisions, otherwise it will spoil it, like in the last derby game."

Williams was the victim of a controversial decision in the last all-Wales Championship clash when he conceded an injury-time penalty which earned Cardiff a last-gasp 2-2 draw.

The Wales defender was adjudged to have fouled Bluebirds striker Jay Bothroyd but replays suggested referee Mike Dean had got it wrong - and Ross McCormack scored the subsequent spot-kick.

Probert, though, has awarded just two red cards in eight games this season when he sent off Everton winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Aston Villa's Carlos Cuellar in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.