Who is the 'incompetent' referee for Sunderland vs Huddersfield?

Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray probably won't be all that pleased by the refereeing appointment for Sunderland vs Huddersfield...

Michael Graham | Nov 27, 2023

Who is the 'incompetent' referee for Sunderland vs Huddersfield? /

Sunderland will have to deal with a referee once publicly branded ‘incompetent’ by Tony Mowbray when they face Huddersfield on Wednesday.

Matthew Donohue will be in charge for the game, and he has something of a storied past with Sunderland.

However, in fairness, most of those stories are happy ones. Let’s have a closer look at Donohue and his previous when it comes to Sunderland.

Who is the referee for Sunderland vs Huddersfield?

Matthew Donohue will be the referee and he has more than 100 Championship games under his belt, as well as a couple of youth international games and, randomly, two in the Icelandic league too.

Matthew Donohue referee Sunderland — Matthew Donohue / IMAGO

The Greater Manchester official will be assisted by Paul Hodskinson and Mark Dwyer.

Meanwhile, the fourth official is also a familiar name to Sunderland fans. Dean Whitestone will be in the technical area for this one – the man who enraged Sunderland fans for failing to protect Patrick Roberts after a couple of bad tackles against Birmingham and then booked the winger for complaining.

Matthew Donohue stats (23/24 season)

Championship Games: 7
Yellow Cards: 41
Red Cards: 0
Penalties awarded: 2

Matthew Donohue record in Sunderland Games

Sunderland 4-2 Gillingham (League 1, February 19, 2019)

Sunderland’s first introduction to Matthew Donohue was back in the Jack Ross days, and he turned out to be very helpful to the cause.

An entertaining game at the Stadium of Light saw Sunderland twice take the lead in the first half through Lee Cattermole and Tom Flanagan only for Gillingham to twice level through Tom Eaves and Brendon Hanlan.

After the break it all went in Sunderland’s favour after Donohue awarded a pair of penalties. Will Grigg and Aiden McGeady successfully converted.

Sunderland 1-0 Sunderland (League One play-off semi-final, May 6, 2022)

Sunderland did not encounter Donohue again for more than three years, but when he did return to the Stadium of Light he picked a brilliant time to do it.

The play-offs semi-final first leg win over Sheffield Wednesday was one of the best atmospheres Wearside has seen in recent years and will long be remembered.

Donohue won’t be remembered as part of it, which is a very positive thing for a referee. Ross Stewart got the only goal in first half stoppage time.

What a night.

Reading 0-3 Sunderland (Championship, September 14, 2022)

Speaking of memorable matches, Donohue was also the man in charge when Sunderland beat Reading at the Select Car Leasing Arena last season.

It was the game the striker injury crisis hit its stride with Ellis Simms forced off just a week after Stewart pulled up in the warm-up at Middlesbrough. It was also the game of that Jack Clarke goal.

The Clarke goal is what it is rightly remembered for, but Sunderland were generally brilliant and Patrick Roberts scored a couple of crackers as well.

"In my opinion, that's goal of the season already" 🔥

Safe to say the Soccer Saturday panel enjoyed Sunderland's goal against Reading 😅 pic.twitter.com/Hd3R7j9ACq
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 17, 2022

Shrewsbury 1-2 Sunderland (FA Cup, January 7, 2023)

Patrick Roberts didn’t have as nice an experience the last time Donohue refereed Sunderland. The former Man City and Celtic man was booked for a dive in the first half when he was clearly tripped in the Shrews’ penalty box.

The winger was livid, and it looked like it was going to be a bad day all round when Matthew Pennington put the League One side ahead with just nine minutes remaining.

However, there was late drama still to come, and Stewart and Luke O’Nien both scored in injury time to win the game.

Sunderland 1-2 Sheffield United (Championship, March 15, 2023)

Well, Donohue really managed to incur the wrath of Tony Mowbray in this one.

The game was all going swimmingly when Edouard Michut gave Sunderland a first half lead. It was a very well deserved one too.

Sadly for Sunderland, James McAtee equalised and the game was decided by a very controversial Tommy Doyle winner.

After the game, Mowbray really let his fury at Donohue be known, calling the official ‘incompetent.’

"It would be great if the referee or linesman could come in here and tell you why he allowed that goal to stand," Mowbray said. "I am sure you have all seen it.

"There were three men offside and one actually goes to try and poke the ball in, which means our goalkeeper stands because he gets a touch he has to stand. He (the attacker) misses it but it bounces in.

"IT'S GONE ALL THE WAY IN!" 🤯

Sheffield United complete the turnaround, but should the goal have stood? 🤏😬 pic.twitter.com/3i6mjrTIwv
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 15, 2023

"One of my coaching staff has just come out of the office and the referee has apologised and said he got it wrong, which doesn't mean very much to us at the moment. I genuinely sit here and say if you know anything about football it's offside. It's not even in doubt. He's interfering with play, which has made our goalkeeper stand still.

"Between the two of them, I think the linesman and the referee got it badly wrong and, ultimately, cost us points.

"I have been in football since I left school 43 years ago and that is offside. Is that right that an offside goal is allowed because the referee is incompetent and the linesman's communication is really poor.

"It shouldn't happen, yet some guy in a blue suit allowed a goal to stand which should not have stood and we have to suffer the consequences of it.”

Matthew Donohue record in Sunderland matches

Matches: 5
Sunderland wins: 4
Draws: 0
Sunderland defeats: 1
Sunderland players sent off: 0
Opposition players sent off: 0
Sunderland penalties awarded: 2
Opposition penalties awarded: 0