Keith the Ref

KEITH Stroud will be the referee for Argyle's Devon Derby against Torquay United on New Year's Day.

The Dorset-based official, 44, will be taking charge of Argyle for the eighth time. We have won two and lost five of the seven previous games where he has been in the middle. The latest was a 2-1 reverse at Home Park against Wimbledon in October 2012. He has not awarded any penalties, nor sent any player off, in those games.

He was, however, the referee that sent off Nick Chadwick in a pre-season friendly at Yeovil last year.

Mr Stroud rose through the official ranks to become an assistant referee in the 2003 FA Cup Final. He became a Football League referee in 2004, and had a spell on the Premier League elite list.

This season, Keith has refereed nineteen fixtures, issuing 85 cautions and five sendings-off - four of which have been straight red cards. He has given four penalties.