Browned off to Deepdale

Last updated : 14 August 2013 By @pnemad

Mark Brown is a taxi driver and has a small share in a private hire car business

He is in his fourth season as a League referee, having been promoted in 2010 after seven years on the line. His early days were in the Hull Sunday League - first, as a winger for Thompson Plastics in division 18, then as a young official learning his fledgling trade with the flag and whistle.

One day he complained to a work colleague about the standard of local refereeing and was told to give it a go and so he did. He decided to quit playing when they had reached division 5 to concentrate on his refereeing.

He rose through the Northern Counties, the UniBond leagues and then the Blue Square North. Scunthorpe United and Oxford United provided him with his first match as an assistant in 2003.

His first match as a referee was a 0-0 draw between Stockport and Wycombe on 14 August 2010. After the game former PNE player, Gareth Ainsworth, the Wycombe captain, came in and said that for his first game he was superb.  

In February 2011 Mark Brown was suspended for three weeks by Mike Riley after posting a football-related jokebook on the social networking sites.

It is believed he made a gag about Steven Gerrard and Liverpool’s unlikely chance of winning honours in the 2010/11 season.

His last MK Dons match was a 2-1 victory at Rochdale on 28 April 2012

His last match saw Southend win 1-0 at Hartlepool on 29 September 2012 and produced his first red card of the season when Southend’s Barry Corr was sent off in the 46th minute.

Seasons Record:

Season:

Matches:

Yellow Cards:

Red Cards:

2013/14

2

6

1

2012/13

24

61

6

2011/12

34

99

6

2010/11

25

68

5

Mark Brown & PNE:

Date:

Match:

PNE Goalscorers:

Cards:

PNE Cards:

29/09/13

PNE 3 Yeovil 2

Monakana; Beardsley; Burn(og)

3Y / 1R

Wright; Keane; Monakana

18/02/12

Sheff.Utd. 2 PNE 1

Cummins

3Y

Brown; Marrow; Cummins

 His assistants are Simon Clayton from County Durham and Tom Nield from West Yorkshire. The fourth official is Anthony Backhouse from Cumbria.