West Ham United v Chelsea
Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 21 September 2024, 12.30pm BST
Referee: Sam Barrott
Assistant Referees: Lee Betts and Wade Smith
Fourth Official: Craig Pawson
VAR: Stuart Attwell
Assistant VAR: Ian Hussin
Sam Barrott has been confirmed as the referee for Saturday’s Premier League match at home to Chelsea.
Barrott has been selected as the man in the middle for the Hammers’ third London derby of 2024/25 and will take charge of his first West Ham United match of the campaign, having refereed the Irons’ 0-0 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion and the 2-1 win away at Burnley last season.
The West Ridings native took charge of his first Premier League match back in October 2023, as Fulham beat Sheffield United 3-1 at Craven Cottage, and has refereed three top-flight games so far this season.
However, Saturday’s referee may never have picked up a whistle had it not been for a nasty injury in his teens when coming through the ranks as a promising youth player at Halifax Town. His grandfather persuaded him to take up a refereeing course during his nine months of rehab aged 15, and he has never looked back.
The official also has two major finals under his belt, refereeing the 2022 FA Vase showpiece between Littlehampton Town and Newport Pagnell Town, before taking charge of the EFL League One Play-Off final between Bolton Wanderers and Oxford United in May 2024.
Lee Betts and Wade Smith will serve as the assistant referees at London Stadium.
The pair run the line in the Premier League regularly, with Betts and Smith having officiated at two and one West Ham fixtures respectively last term.
Norwich-based Betts has been a Select Group and FIFA assistant referee since August 2016, and ran the line in the Hammers’ 3-1 defeat to Manchester City on the final day of 2023/24.
Smith was a new addition to the Premier League ahead of 2020/21, and has officiated six games in all competitions so far this season.
Craig Pawson will work as the fourth official on Saturday.
One of the Premier League’s most experienced officials, Pawson has been a part of the Select Group of Referees since 2013 and has officiated four Premier League games so far this campaign, most recently Aston Villa’s 3-2 win over Everton last weekend.
Video Assistant Referee duties are set to be overseen by Stuart Attwell. The experienced whistler refereed the Irons’ 0-2 home defeat against Fulham in April.
