The man in the middle secures promotion

Greswell Primary School teacher Matt Donohue has been promoted to Select Group 2 of referees for the 2019/20 season.

In doing so, Matt will be eligible to take charge of Sky Bet Championship fixtures from August.

Matt secured the promotion after impressing during the 2018/19 season, in which he took charge of 37 games in League One, League Two and the Football League Trophy, issuing 135 yellow cards and seven reds.

The 31-year-old (who spoke to us about his promotion last season in the video below) was also given the responsibility of refereeing the League Two playoff semi-final first leg between Newport County and Mansfield Town at Rodney Parade in May. 

It's been a meteoric rise for Matt, who moved to Manchester from Essex 10 years ago, having secured four successive promotions. He began refereeing at Level 2B (National League North), before making the step-up to 2A (National League), followed by a season in League One and Two, and now securing his status as a Championship official. 

Matt looks to be following in the foot steps of Ashton referee Chris Kavanagh, who, like Matt, started out with the Manchester FA before gradually moving up the ladder and becoming a Premier League official. Kavanagh, 34, made his top flight debut in April 2017 in a game between West Bromwich Albion and Southampton at the Hawthorns. He has since featured in 40 Premier League fixtures, issuing 131 yellow cards and four reds. 

Kavanagh was also the fourth official for the League One Play-off Final between Scunthorpe United and Millwall at Wembley at the end of the 2016/17 season.

Picture courtesy of James Gill Media.