Referee at centre of controversial Carlisle United game returns

Thomas Parsons is the man in the middle for the Blues’ huge clash with promotion rivals Stockport County.

He was the referee for October’s 3-2 home defeat to Leyton Orient which saw a number of decisions go against the Blues.

The referee came in for serious criticism from fans and players alike after United’s contentious defeat.

Carlisle were denied what looked a clear penalty for handball, before Orient scored a winning goal which appeared blatantly offside.

The game also saw United’s Ryan Edmondson shown a straight red card for raising his hands to Os captain Darren Pratley.

The ref and his fellow officials were given a stormy send-off by Blues fans that day.

Parsons sent off Ryan Edmondson in the Leyton Orient game (Image: Ben Holmes)

United boss Paul Simpson, though, says he and his team cannot afford to worry about the identity of the officials at the Stockport showdown.

Speaking at last week’s fans’ forum, when a supporter raised the subject of Parsons’ return, Simpson said: “When I found out about that I said, ‘I can’t affect it’ – there’s no point worrying about it.

“If we do our job properly, it won’t affect us.”

It is Parsons’ first encounter with United since the Orient game.

Simpson, speaking about that afternoon’s events, added: “If Ryan Edmondson hadn’t raised his hand to Pratley, he wouldn’t have got sent off. I do think Pratley made a meal of it and I told him on the day, but with the sending-off, we can’t have any grumbles.

“The other two decisions were poor decisions. It was the fourth official who overruled the on-field officials to give the offside goal.

“It was him who said, ‘It was a clear pass from our player’. Frightening.

“But I’m not worried who officials are, because I do think if we do job right it doesn’t matter who’s officiating.”