Finnie to referee Emirates FA Cup third round tie | OneFootball

Eddie Howe's side host the League Two outfit, competing at this stage of the competition for the first time in the club's 133-year history, at St. James' Park and this will be the first time Finnie has officiated a fixture involving the Magpies.

Since becoming a Football League referee in 2017, the 30-year-old whistler has officiated over a century of EFL matches across the Championship, League One and League Two as well as overseeing last season's FA Vase final at Wembley Stadium.

Making his Championship debut in April 2024 during Millwall's 3-1 home win against Cardiff City, the Bedfordshire-born official handed out a total of seven red cards during 40 matches last season across League One, League Two, Carabao Cup and the EFL Trophy.

Please note the use of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) will only be used in the 2024/25 Emirates FA Cup from the fifth round onwards to ensure a consistent refereeing approach for all clubs taking part in the same stage of the competition.

2024/25 stats

Games (all competitions): 19

Yellow cards issued: 65

Red cards issued: 1

Assistants

Assistant referees: Lee Betts and Mark Dwyer

Fourth official: Scott Simpson