Hartlepool referee Tony Harrington will take charge of his first Premier League match when Brighton & Hove Albion host Wolverhampton Wanderers

Harrington will lead the top flight match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers at The Amex Stadium following his promotion to Select Group 1 by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) this season.

Harrington has been in charge of nine matches so far this campaign, eight of which have been Championship fixtures, the most recent being Stoke City’s 2-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium earlier this month.

It comes off the back of Harrington taking the League One play-off final between Lincoln City and Blackpool in May with the Hartlepool referee now set to be rewarded with Premier League football.

Harrington, grandson of former Hartlepool United player Tommy McGuigan who made over 350 appearances for Pools in the 1950’s, was promoted to the EFL in 2012 following four years as an assistant referee as well as refereeing in the National League.

He became a part of the PGMOL’s Select Group 2 referee’s pool in 2016 and has taken charge of over 200 EFL games in that time.

Having started out officiating in the Teesside Junior Football Alliance, Harrington has seen his growth throughout the English Football League pyramid.

Harrington has refereed Premier League clubs before having taken Liverpool’s 7-2 win over Lincoln in the EFL Cup last season.

Harrignton has brandished 31 yellow cards and one red card so far this season ahead of his first Premier League fixture.

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