Ref-Watch: Nottingham Forest (H)

Remember when Graham Poll booked a Croatia player twice but didn't send him off in the 2006 World Cup?

It's more likely you do than when Reading's referee this weekend, against Nottingham Forest, Mick Russell, did exactly the same in a match between Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday just over two years ago.

Russell gave two yellow cards to Owls midfielder Jeremy Helan in the opening 25 minutes, but failed to brandish a red, causing huge controversy.

Unsurprisingly, he was taken off the referees list for three matches, and even more unsurprisingly, Mr Poll had both "empathy and sympathy for him", claiming it was an easy mistake to make. Of course he would.

Mick seems to have recovered from that faux pas though, and will be at Wembley next month when he takes charge of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final between Walsall and Bristol City.

The Hertfordshire official has refereed 23 games this season (eight in the Championship), giving out 60 yellow cards and three reds.

However, he is yet to give a penalty this season, and you have to go back March last year for the last time he pointed to the spot.

As for his history with Reading, Russell has previously overseen five Royals fixtures (W1 D3 L1), with the most recent being the 2-2 draw with Burnley in the last game of 2013-14.

In that game you might remember he waved away a first minute penalty claim when Jason Shackell appeared to handle a powerful shot by Pavel Pogrebnyak.

Who knows what would have happened if it had been given...