Premier League announces officials for Luton's televised trip to Chelsea

Luton Town’s trip to Chelsea on Friday night will be refereed by Robert Jones after the Premier League announced their officials this morning.

The Merseyside-born 36-year-old is now in his 10th season as a referee and has taken four matches so far this term, two Europa Conference League fixtures and two top flight encounters, Spurs' trip to Brentford and Manchester City's 1-0 victory over Newcastle United on Sunday.

Last season he had 31 games, the majority in the Premier League, showing 123 yellows, as he hasn’t brandished a red card for 49 games now, since January 2022, when dismissing West Bromwich Albion’s Cedric Kipre for his second yellow in their 2-1 FA Cup defeat at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.

After spending two years in the Conference, Jones was promoted to the Football League for the 2016-17 campaign, and has officiated 278 games in total, showing 848 yellows and 21 reds, with his first Premier League fixture a 1-0 win for Sheffield United at Brighton in December 2019.

He has taken Luton six times before, with the last, Town’s 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town at Kenilworth Road in their Championship play-off semi-final first leg in May 2022.

The other five matches has see the Hatters beaten 3-0 at Stoke in the Championship in February 2021, but winning 1-0 at Hull thanks to Kazengal LuaLua’s strike during their Great Escape in July 2020.

Jones also had the 1-0 Carabao Cup defeat to West Bromwich Albion in August 2018 and 0-0 FA Cup draw at Sheffield Wednesday later that season, plus a 3-0 home loss to Coventry City in October 2017, sending off Glen Rea in the 90th minute.

Assistant referees are Stuart Burt and Wade Smith, with the fourth official Peter Bankes.

Paul Tierney is in charge of VAR, with his assistant Gary Beswick.