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Match officials confirmed for Friday night fixture
Written by Dan King
Mike Dean will be the referee when Leeds United travel to St. James' Park on Friday night (kick-off 8pm BST).
He will be assisted by Ian Hussin and Darren Cann on Tyneside, with Michael Salisbury the fourth official, while Jarred Gillett will be the Video Assistant Referee, alongside Neil Davies at Stockley Park.
Wirral whistler Dean is one of the Premier League's best-known and most experienced referees, having started his career in 1985. He was promoted to the full referees' list in 1997 and appointed to the Select Group of referees for the Premier League in 2000, before being named on the FIFA international referees' list in 2003, where he served for ten years.
Having taken charge of the Community Shield clash between Arsenal and Manchester United in 2004, and the FA Trophy final the same year, he was the man in the middle for the 2008 FA Cup final between Portsmouth and Cardiff City and refereed the League Cup final between Birmingham City and Arsenal three years later.
So far this season, he has shown 11 yellow cards and no red cards in three top-flight matches. Last term, he refereed 30 games in all competitions - including Newcastle's home games against Wolves and Arsenal - flashing 111 yellow cards and nine red cards, one of which was given to Fabian Schär in the game against the Gunners last May.