Newcastle United Latest: Referee Confirmed for West Ham Clash as Eddie Howe Reflects on Officiating Concerns
Newcastle United travel to the London Stadium on Sunday aiming to record back-to-back Premier League victoriesfor the first time this season.
The Magpies will face a West Ham United side struggling near the bottom of the table — the Hammers could even sit 20th if Wolves beat Fulham on Saturday.
When the two sides met in this fixture last season, Bruno Guimarães scored the decisive goal in a 1–0 win for Eddie Howe’s men. Although the contest was far from thrilling, that victory came just before their Carabao Cup final triumph over Liverpool and proved crucial in shaping Newcastle’s campaign.
Referee Appointment Announced
Ahead of Sunday’s clash, the PGMOL has confirmed that Rob Jones will referee the match at the London Stadium. Jones previously officiated a memorable encounter between the two sides at St James’ Park late in the 2023/24 season, a match that stirred controversy among Newcastle supporters.
On that occasion, West Ham scored through Mohammed Kudus after Jones allowed a quick free-kick to be taken while Fabian Schär lay on the ground holding his head — a decision that frustrated Howe’s side.
For this weekend’s fixture, Neil Davies and Nick Greenhalgh will serve as assistant referees, while Peter Bankes has been named fourth official.
Bankes recently oversaw Newcastle’s dramatic win over Fulham, when Bruno Guimarães struck a 90th-minute winner. Despite the late success, Howe expressed his disappointment with some of the officiating decisions during that game.
“There were one or two fouls that I think weren’t given,” Howe said. “I think that’s fair to say, and I believe Nick felt the same way. But he’s going to face different kinds of challenges this season — some defenders will be aggressive, others will drop off — and he has to learn how to adapt to that.”
Howe added that the Fulham game would serve as a valuable learning experience for his team, particularly for newer players adapting to the physical demands of the Premier League.
Paul Howard will oversee VAR duties at Stockley Park, assisted by Lee Betts.
Newcastle will hope for a smoother afternoon this time as they look to build momentum and climb further up the Premier League table.
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