KEVIN FRIEND

(Leicestershire)

KEVIN could be a Stoke Friend indeed if tomorrow's result mirrors those of the only two other City matches he has refereed.

Friend, pictured below, was in charge of Stoke's 1-0 win at Colchester in the penultimate match of their promotion campaign two years ago.

He has only recently been promoted to the top flight panel, and his only Premier League date with Stoke thus far was the 1-0 win over Portsmouth in November.

The 38-year-old first took up a whistle in anger at the tender age of 13 and always appeared destined for great things.

He did the rounds in his native Leicestershire before graduating to the Football League list in 2003.

Friend landed his first Premier League assignment back in September when he took charge of a Wolves home win over Fulham.

A keen follower of Leicestershire County Cricket Club, he was once an active member of the Ray Illingworth Appreciation Society.