'Big call' referee with Leeds United red card history given Norwich City play-off job

Smith flashed the red card at Meslier during the Boxing Day defeat at Preston North End after the goalkeeper raised a hand to Milutin Osmajic after a barge from the Montenegrin. Leeds boss Daniel Farke was disappointed with the decision but also Meslier’s reaction, which presented the man in the middle with a big decision to make. Farke said: “He catches the cross and he gets the first knock from the first player. And the second player who has nothing to do with the situation runs over [from] 10 or 15 yards and gives Illan a hard knock against his body because he just wants to provoke something. Illan reacts then the player goes down, rolls around ten times after a little movement of Illan - it's just what he wanted. I think as a referee you should sense this also and not to influence the game in this way because it was just one target in this situation for the player to provoke a red card. You won't win the Fair Play prize with this and his diving.

“If I'm honest, I hate this behaviour and also this diving and rolling around and trying to provoke red cards but to be honest, I also can't complain about this because sometimes this is what a team does who's searching for their momentum, plays against a team that was praised so much in the last game against Ipswich, trying to provoke something. This is what he did. For me, it's more like to concentrate on what we could have done better and yes, you can argue we gave the referee a decision to make with this little movement of Illan and he should react smart in this situation, although I don't think it should be a red card.”

Sunday’s semi-final first leg will be the sixth time Smith has refereed a Leeds United game. He also took charge of the Elland Road visit of Plymouth Argyle earlier in the season, when Leeds won 2-1 and Argyle boss Steven Schumacher believed his side were denied a clear spot-kick. “Another big call has gone against us at a big ground and that seems to happen every week," he said. “The one that was close to me was Bali when he gets into the box, you can hear the contact, the two lads' boots collided. You can hear the contact, there was no contact on the ball from their player [Ethan Ampadu], so again I can't understand how it's not a foul. Trying to ask the referee and the fourth official at the time why isn't that a foul and the answer we got was that it was just a coming together. Now, if it's a coming together in the box when our player's in control of it and the Leeds player doesn't make contact with it, that's a foul, it's a penalty." Former Premier League referee Mike Dean later echoed Schumacher’s thoughts, telling Sky Sports Soccer Saturday: “We’ve seen the replay from behind the goal, he doesn’t play the ball, it’s a penalty.”

Smith has taken charge of 35 games this season, four of which came in the Premier League, and handed out a total of 140 yellow cards and four straight reds. He’s pointed to the spot eight times, including the penalty he awarded Leeds at Preston and the one Crysencio Summerville tucked away against Hull City at Elland Road. On two occasions this season Smith has refereed Norwich, including their Tractor Derby with Ipswich Town and their 3-1 defeat at home to Blackburn Rovers, for whom Scott Wharton was red carded. Matthew Jones and Sam Lewis will act as assistant referees, with Stephen Martin taking fourth official duties.