Managers call for derby coolness

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

Cardiff City manager Dave Jones has appealed to referee Lee Probert not to treat their clash with Swansea City as a local derby and to stay clear-headed.

"As soon as you start thinking it is a derby then you are going to be brandishing yellow cards... and in some cases red cards," said Jones.

Meanwhile Swansea manager Paulo Sousa has urged his players to keep calm.

"The referee needs to make these decisions... but we must try to keep our emotions controlled," Sousa said.

Probert attracted criticism from the Bluebirds boss in November 2008, when Jones claimed the Wiltshire official was unfit to referee after he sent off two Cardiff players in their 1-0 loss at QPR.

Darren Purse and Miguel Comminges were sent off, but Purse had his red card overturned on appeal.

Jones said at the time: "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?"

Probert also attracted controversy in August as he was the fourth official in Arsenal's 2-1 defeat at Manchester United when he advised referee Mike Dean to send off Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.

Wenger, who had kicked a water bottle following a disallowed Arsenal goal, was told he would receive an apology from referees' chief Keith Hackett over his dismissal.

Probert, 37, is a top-flight referee who is in his third year on the Premier League list and he has given 29 yellow cards and two reds in his eight games this season.

He 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.

Three players were sent off in the three games last campaign as Stephen McPhail was dismissed in both clashes at the Liberty - once in the league and once in the League Cup - while the hosts' midfielder Leon Britton also saw red in the 2-2 Championship draw at Swansea.

"There will be tackles and a very hostile atmosphere but you expect [Probert] to referee the game as it is not as a local derby," Dave Jones said on Friday.

"If he sets the tone out to try and quell the crowd, then they give a yellow card in the first tackle then they're going to incense the crowd," said Jones.

"So I would expect, as I always do, for him to go out and referee the game because it is a game of football not because of what it is.

Meanwhile Swansea boss Sousa has urged his players to keep calm.

"You have rules and sometimes our passion and enthusiasm go a little up for the expectations and the rules," he said.

"The referee needs to make these decisions and sometimes it is in our favour and other times it is not, but we must try to keep our emotions controlled and be focused on the game."

Swans centre-back Ashley Williams conceded an injury-time penalty which earned Cardiff a last-gasp 2-2 draw in the last all-Wales Championship clash in April - a decision later criticised by then Swansea manager Roberto Martinez.

"There is going to be a strong ref for this game and that is crucial," Swansea defender Ashley Williams told the South Wales Evening Post ahead of this Saturday's game.

"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."