Tim Robinson will referee Albion’s clash at old rivals Crystal Palace

The official from Middleton-on-Sea in the far south west corner of Sussex has been handed the middle for Sunday’s clash at Selhurst Park.

It will be his fifth game of the season and his second in the Premier League.

He has also had two Championship fixtures and one in League One.

Robinson was a PE teacher in Billingshurst before being promoted to a full-time refereeing role.

He last refereed Albion in the 4-2 defeat at Brentford which saw Joao Pedro sent off for an elbow to, as it turned out, end his career with the club.

Robinson was also in charge of the home game with Everton, won by a disputed penalty for the Toffees.

He has refereed Albion eight times, of which the last four were all defeats with only one of the last seven – against Forest Green – ending in a Seagulls win.

Superstitious Albion fans worried about those facts might also note the away teams have lost without scoring a goal in all four games...