QPR and Preston North End fans won't be happy with EFL referee announcement

QPR and Preston North End meet at Deepdale this weekend in a Championship six-pointer with both sides looking to put more space between themselves and the drop zone as the second tier season comes to a close.

Just one place and one point separates the R’s in 15th and the Lilywhites in 16th. Paul Heckingbottom’s side are seven points above the bottom three with four matches left this season.

The hosts are without a win in their last four matches, drawing two and losing two, before welcoming the visitors to Deepdale. Neither QPR nor Preston North End fans will be too happy with Championship news regarding the referee.

EFL confirms referee for QPR v Preston North End

The EFL has confirmed that Jeremy Simpson will oversee the meeting between QPR and Preston North End with Sam Lewis and Hristo Karaivanov as assistants. The fourth official is Ross Joyce.

Simpson has been on the receiving end of pointed words from Heckingbottom already this season. In February, the Preston North End boss said the official ‘couldn’t wait to get off the pitch’ after missing a penalty call in the 2-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.

Simpson was the fourth official that day with Josh Smith the referee. Blackburn benefitted from a penalty in that game, awarded when Jack Watmough was judged to have fouled Dom Hyam in the box, but Preston also had a shout for a spot kick in the final stages when Brad Potts challenged Makhtar Gueye.

After the match, Heckingbottom said: “We have all seen it, you'd better talk about it. I am not talking about it today, I have just been sent off last week. Josh and Jeremy (Simpson, fourth official) know they have got it wrong, they couldn't wait to get off the pitch. All the time Pottsy was down getting treated, they didn't even add any of that on. It is one of them, they have had a howler.

“I can't tell you how frustrating it is. It is our job and we focus on what we do, but I can't tell you how frustrating it is. When you are working with the lads all the time, especially the subs when they came on and the impact they had, and they have not got the reward for that. But then add to that the 6,500 fans who are paying to be here, they expect better, we all expect better.”

QPR have red card history with Jeremy Simpson

QPR’s gripes with the official date back to 2017 when the referee sent off two players in the same match, when facing Preston North End. Jamie Mackie saw red after 22 minutes for a challenge on Tom Clarke and Alex Baptiste was sent off after the final whistle for something said to Simpson.

Reacting to the match, former QPR boss Ian Holloway said: “I’ll look at the one with Alex because he says he was speaking to his mate (PNE midfielder Ben Pearson) and he’ll probably be suspended now. I don’t think that gave me any credence to go in and speak to the referee because now I’ve got two players sent off in a game where I didn’t even see a bad foul.

“He’d only just been booked for the first one because he bounced the ball down which is something I’ll have to talk to him about, but what he then said to a former team-mate, the referee is saying it was said to him. If he did say it to the referee, I can’t argue with that either, because you can’t do that.”

Simpson is yet to referee a match involving QPR this season but was in charge of the 1-1 draw between the R’s and Plymouth Argyle last April. Sam Field scored a 73rd minute opener for QPR in that match before an Albert Adomah own goal levelled the scores at Home Park.

The referee’s last match was the Championship meeting between Norwich City and Sunderland at Carrow Road earlier this month. Six yellow cards were shown in that 0-0 draw.

In other news, QPR tease 'fantastic' injury boost in time for tricky Burnley and Sunderland clashes.