A rookie top-flight referee will take charge of the Hatters on Saturday in Luton’s Premier League match against Wolves at Kenilworth Road.
When Luton hosts Wolves at Kenilworth Road on Saturday, referee Josh Smith will oversee his first Premier League game of the year.
The official, who is just in his sixth season as a whistler, has so far this season had six Championship games and one League Cup encounter, issuing 23 yellow cards.
In fact it is only Smith’s second top flight fixture ever, his previous one coming at the end of last season, when Fulham drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace in May.
He did have another 34 games, showing 140 bookings and four reds in total.
Smith refereed the Hatters four times, the 2-0 win over Blackburn, 3-2 defeat to West Bromwich Albion and 1-1 draw at Preston, sending off the hosts’ Ben Whiteman on 50 minutes.
The official also had one of the best matches in Town’s recent history, the 2-0 win over fierce rivals Watford on April 1.
During the 2021-22 campaign, Smith took Luton twice, a 3-0 FA Cup win at Cambridge United and 2-1 home defeat to QPR, as he also had the Hatters’ 4-0 loss at Cardiff in November 2020.
Assistants referees are Eddie Smart and Nick Greenhalgh, with the fourth official Peter Bankes.
John Brooks is in charge of VAR, with his assistant Akil Howson.
